Unpredictable Storms
by Elillierose
Summary: When the crew is shipwrecked upon unfamiliar territory, they must go through the troubles of finding one another as well as getting off this island, thought to be inhabited, before they lose one of their own to infection, or before the locals have the chance to finish what they started.. Sanji-centric. Zosan if you squint
1. United Among the Divided

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting**

 **Alright, here we go. So, this is a fic I tried to do three years ago or so, and unfortunately, I fell off of it. But, I wanted to actually finish it. Over the last year, I have written at least 70 stories, including the ones I did for requests in a series. So, I'm confident in finishing it this time. I did re-write most over it in the course of a few days, and I'm taking it in a different direction than I initially was. Mainly because at the time I had no earthly idea what the hell I was doing.**

 **Anyway, I hope people are happy with the new version of this, and please enjoy. :D**

 **And, for those that followed me after that news update, I want to thank you so very much for sticking around; I was honestly shocked that even a few were still here.**

 **This chapter is shorter than the rest will be for the sake of setting up who will be stuck with who.**

* * *

 **Nami**

She trailed on, footprints ghosting behind her in the dampened sand in her wake. The initial ones were swept away by the creeping waves, but most were left untouched by the clutches of the ocean. Only a few measly minutes had passed, but with the worry dwelling and accumulating deep within stretched those into an illusion of hours. Light fingers brushed away a few wandering strands of bright, sun-kissed hair. 'They have to be around here somewhere,' she thought to herself, teeth digging into the inside of her lip in concern. She cupped her hands around her mouth like she had countless times already and took a deep breath. "Luffy! Ussop! Somebody!" she shouted, voice slightly hoarse from both dryness and over-use. "Please, someone answer me," he whispered to herself, lowering her hands to hang uselessly at her sides once more.

Nami let out a shuddering breath as she glanced once more around the place...there was no signs, no signs of anyone or anything. Only...only leftover debris sprinkling the shore. Still, she knew she had to press on, she couldn't be the only one that made it, she refused to believe that. Rounding a boulder protruding from the sand, her eyes instantly sought out a lone hat...a straw one, lying on the grainy surface. One of her brows raised in curiosity.

"Luffy?" she cautiously called out, taking a tentative step towards the iconic accessory.

"Mmmmmhmmmhmm ummmf," the muffle reply came, that accompanied with the slight pulsing of the ground beckoned her to leap back in utter surprise. A startled cry escaped her with that. Collecting her wits and calming herself down, she once again approached. Carefully, she plucked the hat off the ground, revealing a tuft of black hair sprouting from the ground. Despite her relief at such a sight, she couldn't help the exasperated huff that left her.

Without asking questions, she dropped to her knees and got to work with scooping handfuls of the substance away, grumbling to herself the whole time. Before too long, she had his face uncovered, and the first thing he did was flash her with that familiar goofy and charmed grin. It was almost as if he wasn't just at risk of suffocation.

"I thought I was going to be there forever!" he exclaimed, glancing around a moment later as he unveiled his arms, allowing him to do the rest. "Where is everyone?" he questioned, his tone switching on a dime from playful to serious as he began pulling his way out of his confinement.

Slowly, the navigator got to her own feet, one hand outstretched to hand him his hat back. "I dunno," she admitted, folding her arms and gazing off at the vast sea, her wavering stare practically searching its surface. "You're the first one I've come across."

"Huh?" his mouth hung partially open in disbelief, and he wasted no time in climbing his way to the top of the boulder where he planted his feet. Nami didn't get the chance to prepare herself before a bellowing "Ussop! Sanji! Zoro!" nearly knocked her off her feet with the sheer volume alone. "Where are you guuuys!?" he added for good measure, then waited, listening for even the slightest response. But, as expected, and to their disappointment, it was in vain. "What if they got lost in the ocean!?" he suddenly came to the conclusion, jumping down and fully intending to haul it back out there. He managed to take one step with a declaring, "We have to go after them," before his collar was grabbed, firmly yanking him back and causing him to fall backwards.

Sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose, Nami put forth the effort to physically drag him away from the creeping waves, inching closer and closer to her captain. "Luffy, I really don't think they're still out there. They probably got washed up as well, so that means they're around here somewhere. I'm sure of it," she assured, hoping that she was right about that. Truth be told, she had no idea, but she sure as hell wasn't about to allow the other to venture out to his death on a whim.

He quickly sat up, folding his arms in thought. He knew she had a point, and was probably right, but how could they be sure? For all they knew, they could be at the bottom of the ocean by now, or worse, eaten by something. The image of that swam through his head and he couldn't help but groan at the mental playout of that. Standing up, he brushed the remnants of sand from his body and straightened up. "Hey!" he yelled towards the ocean, "If you guys are out there, don't you think about dying on me!"

Setting his brows in a firm furrow, he nodded once with satisfaction. "Alright, we can start looking now," he promised, looking awfully proud of himself. Nami's face fell after that stunt, leave it to him to yell at the sea as if it would help a thing. Standing dumbfoundedly, she almost lost sight of her captain as he sauntered his way towards the brush, supposedly assuming she'd be able to keep up.

In a rush, she jogged after him. "Hey, wait up," she called after him, kicking up sand as she chased after him. In the back of her mind, she pleaded that the others were alright.

 **Ussop**

He was completely and utterly lost, not to mention beyond terrified. But, what else was new? The sniper had no idea where he was, no idea where the others were, and no earthly idea where the hell he was even going. Perhaps he should have just stayed put, if he was lucky, someone would have stumbled upon him sooner or later. But alas, here he was, trudging on aimlessly without a hope in the world...alone. He dragged his feet, casually kicking splinters of wood as he went. With his mood souring with each step, he probably walked right by others without even noticing them. Then again, if that were the case, they most likely would have called out to him by now, so perhaps not.

What if he was the only one left? What if he was lucky...or unlucky enough to be the only survivor, forced by cruel fate to wander the emptiness of this plane alone forevermore? He groaned audibly to himself and raised both hands to ruffle through his hair to rid himself of such thoughts. That was ridiculous, if he was able to make it, then surely the others would have as well. But, then he remembered, what if Luffy fell in the ocean? All heat drained from his face at the idea of that. All he could do was pray and hope that he was wrong about all that.

Yeah, they were probably all together, awaiting his return with open arms. At that positive note, he straightened up with a new sense of determination. "They're fine," he told himself. "I'm going to be fine, and we're all going to be back together before the day is over." He kept repeating this to himself, imbedding it into the depths of his psyche.

Ussop picked up his pace, his steps falling one after another on their own with his newfound confidence. He glanced in all directions as he went, making sure there wasn't a corner he missed. So consumed in his own search, he no longer paid any mind to where his feet where going, or what may lie in his path. Not long into his walk, his foot connected with something cushioned, throwing off his rhythm and casting him forward with a small cry and a soft 'thud'. Muttering to himself nursing a now sore, chin, he tossed an annoyed look over his shoulder. His eyes immediately widened with the sight...a blue backpack. "Isn't that…?"

"Ussop!" the shrill call of his name elicited another startled yelp from the man, and he was back on his feet, head swiveling for the source. After finding nothing, he glanced down, his frightened expression transitioning into a more relaxed one. "You found it!" the small almost cheered, wasting no time in plucking his back-pack from the sand.

"Chopper?" the sniper sighed in relief, tears already welling in the corners of his eyes. He didn't care if he cried, he was just overwhelmed with joy at having found another.

Returning the gesture, the mini doctor turned to point off more towards inland. "Robin's here too," he informed, jabbing a hoof in the direction where she was perched against the trunk of a tree. Not one, but two of his comrades were accounted for; this was more than he could have hoped for. Did that man the others weren't that far away either? Two down, four to go, the other four being some of the most capable people he knew. Things were finally looking up.

 **Sanji**

His head was throbbing and his entire body screamed with soreness and aches. Slowly, he pried his eyes partially open and squinted against the intense rays, waiting for the moment the brightness would let up. The moment he had his vision back to its full capacity, he carefully pushed himself up, wincing and hissing at the sharp pains that shot up his right leg with the movement. Swearing under his breath, he stilled while the pulsating pains subsided. Taking a deep and calming breath, he looked down, his blues trailed the length of the limb until the red-stained sand surrounding it caught his attention.

"Shit," he forced out, reaching down to inspect the wound. His fingers gingerly brushed the offended area, sending new waves of agony. Clamping down, he ignored the appendages protests and quickly yanked the pants leg up to reveal the damage underneath. "Well," he breathed out, voice tight, "that's just great." He couldn't tear his gaze from the gash that extended at least a good few inches. Fresh crimson liquid continued to seep, soaking into the ground around it. In a huff, he rolled the fabric back down and drew in a sharp inhale.

He was going to regret this, but he couldn't stay here, not on the ground at least. Carefully, he worked his way over to the closest tree, hissing and groaning the whole way, every time his leg was jostled in the slightest. Grabbing onto the trunk for dear life, he started hefting himself up, heavily relying on the tree for support. He was just thankful no one was around to witness this.

Eventually, and painstakingly, he was able to get upright; most of his weight was on his good leg and the tree, but he was up at least. Instinctively, his hand reached into his pocket, his fingers seeking the comfort and familiarity of a cigarette. His hand fished around, slowly flailing faster when nothing came into contact. Frustrated and already irritated, he retracted his hand, muttering a few choice words under his breath. "Damn ocean," he grumbled, placing his hand instead back on the tree before he lost his balance.

Half limping, and half dragging himself, he worked his way to the cover of more trees, to the shade of them. And, lucky him, one of them was downed, providing the perfect place to rest for a bit. Tediously, he lowered himself to sit upon it, keeping his injured leg outstretched so as not to irritate it further. It took some work and a bit of awkward maneuvering, but he got himself settled in. Sighing heavily, he let his body relax a bit, despising the fact that there wasn't much he could do in his condition at the moment. Best he could do was sit and wait, wait for someone else to come along, and hope that someone did.

Though, fortunately, he didn't have to sit for long before someone sauntered by, but his joy swiftly faded at the realization of who it was. The moment that green fuzz came into view, he scowled and groaned in exaggeration. "I was hoping for someone like Nami and Robin, not some shithead," he grumbled, tilting his head back.

"You wanna repeat that, ya shitty cook?" he challenged, turning on the spot to head towards the blond. His hand twitched, itching to grab for his hilt.

The other man offered him a sly grin. "I'll repeat as many times as it take for your small brain to understand," he teased, glaring sharpened daggers at the swordsman. "Unfortunately for you, I've lost my cigarettes, so I'll need something to take my anger out on." It had only been a few hours, but that was all it took for him to crave the calming effects of the nicotine. In the moment, he jumped up with the threat of a dispute, forgetting the whole reason he was sitting in the process. The sudden and unwelcomed weight on his bad leg was not well accepted. He stumbled as the limb protested highly, but he quickly regained his balance, trying to appear as though nothing had happened. But, of course, it didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey, something wrong?" Zoro asked, his tone shifting completely as he crouched down to take a closer look at the wound. He hardly got a chance to glance at it before the cook leaped back.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, a biting undertone to his words. "It's fine, just a cut," he brushed off, casually hiding the appendage behind the other.

Scoffing, the swordsman stood back up with a roll of his eyes. "Fine, have it your way, idiot," he mumbled as he walked by the other, pausing to say something else over his shoulder. "But, I wouldn't suggest leaving it like that. Could at least cover it up to stop the bleeding and keep the dirt out." Just as the other raised an eyebrow in question, he quickly added. "But whatever, it's your leg, do whatever the hell you want."

"Who are you, Chopper," Sanji muttered. "Like I said, it's just a small cut, nothing I can;t handle, now try minding your own business." After a few seconds of silence, he finally asked the question that was on both their minds. "By the way, have you seen any of the others?"

Shaking his head, Zoro uttered a quiet, "Just you," before heading off in the direction of the woods. "But, they're around here somewhere, they couldn't have gotten far."

"Hey, where are you going? Don't think I'm going to let you lead, we'll be lost within the minute."

"Well, if you can manage to get ahead of me, then I'll happily let you take the front." He flashed a knowing and sly grin at the blond, fully aware that he struck a nerve with that little comment. He glanced down at the man's wounded leg, "Yeah, didn't think so. Just try to keep up."

Behind him, the blond gritted his teeth, and it took everything he had not to land a kick at the back of the guys head. Best thing he could do was at least try to control himself until they found the others. But, the moment they were safe and together, it was free game. With that promise in mind, he followed after the other, making sure to keep his emotions in check, at least for the time being.


	2. Unfortunate Circumstances

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting**

 **You can also contact me on Tumblr for any questions or concerns, same name on there. I tend to respond more quickly on there than here.**

 **Thank you so much for those that followed and Favorited this; I'm so excited to finally be back on this story, it feels so good and nostalgic in a way. ^-^ Also overjoyed to see some of the same people around~**

* * *

 **AruRmz : Eyyy, really hope it's nothing too drastic. The primary change is the antagonist, I think this new one makes a hell of a lot more sense when compared to the original if I'm being honest. No idea what I was thinking then. - And thank you so much, so nice to see people are still interested. OwO**

* * *

 **Nami**

"Luffy?" Nami panted, her body begging her for some sort of rest. "Don't you think we've gone on for long enough? We've been at it for hours, and there's still no sign of anyone," she questioned, slowing down as her legs threatened to drop her on the spot. She glanced up, watching as the hues of the sky changed right before her, creeping closer into that of night. "I have a feeling we're just wondering farther from the others; they could have stayed put where they were," she suggested. After all, none of them knew the size of this place, and she highly doubted their first thought would be to wander off into the middle of the woods. "And, we've been walking forever, we can at least take a break if nothing else," she added, hopefully.

Her captain stopped on the spot and gave her a quick and reassuring smile over his shoulder. "Don't worry so much about them, Nami. They can take of themselves, or else I wouldn't have asked them to join my crew." His smile widened as he gave a quick thumbs up. "But, if we want to find them and help them if they need it, then we need to keep our strength up," he filled in, his light-heartedness shining through brightly. "Which means, we need to find something to eat." And, with that, his previous prone posture was wilting with hunger.

Chuckling to herself, Nami figured he was right; they hadn't eaten since the night before, and she was starting to sense the first signs of famine gnawing at her. Sighing, she folded her arms. "Alright, we'll find something edible, get our energy up, rest up, and then we can search for the others. That work for you?" she asked, making sure they were on the same page about this.

But, cutting her eyes over to him, it was clear he wasn't listening, too busy seeking out something that he could stuff in his mouth. With something throbbing in the side of her head, she closed her eyes and took a moment so as not to snap. "What is with this place?" she heard him mutter to himself as he continued to sniff around in the underbrush. "What kind of island doesn't have food?"

"Try to have some patience will you? I'm pretty sure you aren't going to starve to dea-" she was cut off as her head whipped to the side, her gaze now lingering on some bushes as the rustled subtly with life. "Do you hear that?" she whispered, instinctively taking a cautious step away from the noise.

"Hear what?" he asked, lifting his head from it's angled position.

"There's something out there," the navigator replied, her eyes never drifting from the spot. "I heard something move...over there," she clarified, raising a finger to guide his attention in the right direction. "Wh-What if we're being followed?" she wondered allowed, taking another step back until she was standing behind her captain. "Go check it out," she near demanded, dead set on keeping her distance.

Of course, there was no need for her to insist, he likely would have investigated of his own accord, but with Nami now urging him to do so, he didn't have much choice in the matter. Subtlety a word that wasn't in his known vocabulary, he charged right in, eagerness putting that extra bounce in his step before he disappeared in the thick shrubbery. The redhead couldn't see what was going on, but she could sure hear it, and whatever was within the brush was putting up one hell of a fight.

"Hey," she called after him, "What's going on. Is everything alright?" she asked, carefully drawing nearer as the commotion began to die down. Swallowing nervously, she was now just a couple feet away. "Luf-"

"Got it!" he announced with enthusiasm, springing from the foliage with his left hand thrust into the air in victory The medium-sized creature hung lifelessly from his grip, swinging from side to side; it was unlike anything she'd ever seen, and she naturally scrunched her nose at the sight of it. I looked like it was some weird hybrid of rodent and reptile.

Letting her disgust known, Nami scowled as he stepped out of the plants with it still in his grasp. "What is that?" she asked, not hiding the displeasure from her tone. And how could it have both scales and fur at the same time? They've seen some weird things, of course, but this...it was just plain unsightly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, blinking in confusion as he looked back at the animal in hand. "It's meat...or I think it is…" he raised and eyebrow and poked it with his free hand. "I hope," he added as it swayed. "I bet it'll be good cooked," he smiled. "Now, if only we had Sanji," he half whined.

Rolling her eyes, Nami turned away from him. "I'm not touching it, so I guess that leaves you to prepare it." But, first they needed to find a place that wasn't surrounded by flammable forestry. The last thing they needed was to set the whole place on fire. "L-Let's just find a place to settle down," she suggested, more than ready to get as far away from this place as possible now. If things like that were lurking around, she hated to think about what else there could be.

* * *

 **Usopp**

Usopp, Chopper and Robin continued their destinationless trip around the outskirts of the island, the constant crashes of waves beginning to grate against their nerves. It's been hours...and still, no signs of others. Even debris stopped showing up some time ago. And, they were all aware of it, aware that the chances of running into the rest of the crew this way were waning, but for some reason, none of the had the heart to bring it up. After another few minutes, the sharpshooter sighed and lowered his gaze to watch his feet as they carried on mindlessly. "Hope they're alright," he muttered, mostly to himself.

"I'm sure they are, just remember who you're talking about," Chopper assured, forever trying to look on the positive side of things, no matter how bleak and desperate they appeared to be. Though, there was no hiding the worried undertone weaved throughout the statement; however, despite his own concerns, he had to put on a brave front for the others. He had to be strong for their sake, even if it was a false front he was putting on.

'Where are you guys?' the reindeer thought to himself, a sense of dread settling in the pit of his stomach as he gazed over the ocean. Once again, his burdened mind hooked and reeled in those same thoughts as earlier; devastating image after devastating image flowed through his imagination, and he had to shake his head to rid himself of those. Sure, it was a hard blow they took, the whole ship was destroyed after all. But, at least it wasn't the Sunny, there was that to be thankful for. Regardless, it was a miracle in and of itself that the three of them had made it out unharmed. Adding four more to that list would have been pushing it.

Something could have easily happened to one of the others, and he wasn't around to help. What if one of them was in dire need of medical attention, and they were alone and without assistance. If it wasn't for all the fur, he was sure his face would have paled with that in mind. It was his job to keep everyone healthy and alive after all, and he may not have been around to carry out his duty.

"I don't think this is getting us anywhere," Robin spoke up, being the first to voice what they were all thinking. The doctor was just thankful for the silence being broken and saving him from his venturing worries. "If they did survi-" she cleared her throat awkwardly. "If they washed up," she re-worded, "I highly doubt they'd still be on the shore with the sun setting. Even Luffy knows how tides work, or I would assume." Folding her arms, she let her gaze drift more inland. "They most likely went in search of shelter, or civilization. It's what I would do if I were alone out here," she suggested. And, yeah, when it was said so casually like that, it sounded obvious; they really were wasting their time out here, and now they were probably even farther away from the others.

They all slowed to a stop as they pondered. "You're probably right," Usopp muttered, "but, we don't know how big this place is. It could take days, or weeks before we find any of them. And it's like you said, that's if they even washed up as well." He tossed his hands up in exasperation, quickly losing his cool. "It's a lost cause, they're gone, and now we're stuck on this place for the rest of our lives."

The sniper ceased his mental decline when there was a tug on his pants. He glanced down to see Chopper staring back at him, a forced grin on his features. "You have a point," he agreed, instantly continuing when he noticed the falter in the other's eyes, "but, we have to try. We won't know unless we try. Besides, it's better than walking in a giant circle for all eternity," he added with a small shrug.

Usopp felt inclined to surrender, how could he argue with logic like that; even his negative output on all this couldn't deny the solid points they were making. Sagging his shoulders, he sighed. "Alright, guess we have no choice then," he replied, letting his head drop forward. "It's our best option, so I say let's give it a go."

"Hey," the historian, said, clapping the other on the back, "Don't doubt them so much. I'm sure they're sitting high and mighty right now getting impatient with how slow we are."

The man nodded, appreciating the effort. Not letting her cheering go in vain, he straightened up. "Yeah, I'm sure they are, and when we find them, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind for making us worry so much," he announced in determination, a fire rekindled. Robin watched on as he bounced forward, a little feigned, but it was better than him sulking around. Shaking her head in amusement, she followed after the two of them. On the inside, she did her best to convince herself that it was all true as well.

* * *

 **Sanji**

The both of them did most of their walking in silence, aside from the occasional hiss and gasp from the blond, but he refused to admit any sort of discomfort. Not while within earshot of Zoro anyway. He'd suffer in silence before so much uttering 'ow'. Sanji followed as closely as he could without putting too much strain on his leg, but that was proving to be much easier said than done. Neither of them acknowledged it, but it was obvious that the swordsman slowed down more than once to allow him to catch back up. As considerate as it was, it still rubbed him the wrong way; he wasn't a charity case in need of sympathy from someone like him.

"Where the hell are they?" the cook muttered, slapping more leaves out of his way, adding more force than necessary. Why did it have to be so damn overgrown?

Zoro scoffed under his breath, "There's no telling. With a crew like that, we'll be lucky enough if they're even still around here. If this keeps up though, I might have to head back and trace every inch of this place," he declared, ducking under a low-hanging branch.

"Pretty ironic," Sanji mumbled under his breath, trying mighty hard to cover up the humor he found in that statement.

The other man cast a questioning glare back. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, his eye twitching at the insinuation.

The blond just gave him a teasing smirk, "Nothing, just you know, ironic that you're going to look for someone. I'm sure that'll end really well for you," he pressed, grinding his heel into the other's patience.

"Just shut your mouth and stay close," he instructed, turning back to watch forward, and again slowing down marginally. As much as the blond got on his nerves, he wasn't going to be cruel to the guy, and there wasn't a single muttering of pain that he didn't catch. If the cook wasn't so utterly stubborn, he may have offered help...may have. The more they pushed on, the more consistent and frequent they became. "I think it's time for a short break," he suggested after about an hour.

"What...tired already?" the blond asked, a teasing chime to his words.

"No, but we should get our bearings," he said, trying to hide the true reason for stopping. Without explain, he made the first move to sit. "Well, I'm stopping for a bit, but you're free to do as you like, I'm not your babysitter."

Sanji grit his teeth with that remark and went to take another step, but that one ended up being the straw that broke the camel's back. With the shift, his leg tried to buckle underneath him, and if it weren't for the tree that he grabbed onto for dear life, he would have ended up face down on the ground. "On second thought," he tightly breathed out, slowly lowering himself onto the ground. Again, he was extra careful with his bad leg, making sure not to jerk it in the process. Finally, he leaned back against the trunk with an exhausted sigh.

As they sat there, the larger man found himself occasionally glancing at the wound, the growing red stain not settling in his mind too well. "You plan on leaving a trail of blood for the others to follow?" he questioned, knowing that'd get the other's attention where it needed to be. "Is it still bleeding?" he added, less hostility in his voice.

"Yeah, but I think it's slowing down," the other replied, not bothering to even give it a look. "Besides, it's not that bad."

"Then you won't mind me taking a look at it," Zoro answered, a smug look on his face. "All I want to do is take a quick look at it, or are you afraid you'll look weak?" he asked, pushing all the right buttons, and he damn well knew it too.

Taking a deep breath and grinding his teeth, Sanji yanked his pants leg up, wincing as the material caught slightly on the edges of the gash. "There, now you saw it," he said, going to roll the leg back down, but a firm hand on his wrist stopped him from doing so. "What?" he asked in offence, orbs of ocean darting down to the hand grasped over over his arm.

But, the other man was too focused on the wound. "You really are an idiot, you know that?" he asked, but his tone lacked its usual bite "We need to wrap it up," he said this time, making it clear it wasn't up for debate. Before, he didn't get a chance to see the extent of it, from the outside it already appeared pretty rough, but seeing it without obscurities; it was a wonder he managed to go this long and far without much complaint.

The blond wanted to say something back, he really did, but the seriousness in that tone was like a muzzle; he didn't know how to reply wittily to something so out of the ordinary like that. "I told you," he muttered, "it'll be fine." He jerked the hold away and shoved the material back down, hiding the injury from few. "I've had worse," he reminded.

"That may be, but you also weren't in the middle of nowhere and had a doctor take care of it," he responded, some of that snappy attitude returning, but it was different somehow. "I'm not asking you for much, just not to be stupi-" he hushed mid-sentence, a splatter on his nose demanding his attention. Slowly looking up, he muttered under his breath at the gathering darkened clouds.

"Just what we needed," Sanji sighed, wincing as he worked his way back up. This time, he took his time adjusting to the new position, giving his leg the chance to get used to it. "What are you waiting for? Get up, we need to find shelter now. Unless you wish to smell like wet dog," he added humorously, taking a few steps and limped past the other, forcing him to follow suit or risk getting separated

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming," he muttered, wasting no time in getting to his feet as well. Now walking behind the cook, he was more aware of the awkward steps, and the stiff movements. Hell, it was painful just to watch. He glanced back at the sky, looking for something else to focus on, and it couldn't have just been him, but those clouds were already darker...and moving rather quickly.

"Shit," he grit out, "storms coming. And, if it's anything like that last…" he trailed off, not needing to elaborate. "We need to find a place to withstand that."

In front of him, the blond stopped abruptly, and he had to dig his heels in to stop in time. "You mean like that?" Sanji asked, jabbing his thumb off to the side. Following the gesture, Zoro raised his brows at the entrance to a cave.

"...That'll do," he agreed, the both of them working their way to it, hoping with every ounce they had that it wasn't already occupied. Within a few minutes, the ducked inside, just in time too. Not a moment later, the heavens opened their floodgates, allowing all to pour down into their realm. "Well, not the coziest…" he grumbled, "but, may as well get as comfortable as we can," he said, being the first to pick out a spot and place himself in it.

On the other side, Sanji did the same, albeit a bit more stiffly and with far more hisses. Once in place, he figured it wouldn't hurt to give his leg one last look over himself. Slowly, a lot more hesitantly this time, he rolled his pants leg up, flinching when the blood seeped through his fingers from his crimson tinted garments. Peeling it back, his breath hitched; it appeared slightly irritated from all the walking around, and he was fully aware that keeping it covered with soiled fabric like that couldn't' have been good for it. Unlike the other times, he left it uncovered, and straightened it back out, letting it breathe a little bit.

Without a word, Zoro tossed something over, and it took a while for the other to recognize it as his bandanna. "Use it," he muttered, eyes closed in a relaxed state. He cracked one eye open after he got no response to find blues staring at him. "What? Can't have you getting an infection."

"Ah, so you're worried about me?" he questioned, a grin on his face. "How sweet." His tone was dripping with tense sarcasm.

"Don't get the wrong idea, you could drop dead for all I care. I just don't want to have to explain your death to the others." He leaned back against the rocky surface and shuffled into a position where a stone wasn't jabbing into his back. He closed his eyes once more, in search of the few moments of sleep he craved.

Reluctantly, Sanji plucked the makeshift bandage off the cave floor and held it between two fingers for a moment. Swallowing his pride, which was no easy feat, he slipped the material under his leg, and taking a deep breath and holding it, he tightly tied it into a knot. As he did so, he was forced to clamp down on his bottom lip to stifle his sounds of discomfort. And, once all was said and done, his breathing took a moment to get back under control. Slowly calming his racing heart and rapid inhales, he followed Zoro's example and tried to lessen the tension in his body.

Though he wasn't successful, he did manage to get at a more acceptable angle and quickly found himself drifting off. He was utterly drained, and he wasn't sure if it was from walking all day or blood loss. But, whatever it was, it was working wonders.

* * *

 **After this, I still have 3 more chapters ready for uploading, and will continue to do what I can to make sure I continuously have them at the ready this time around. ;D Of course, gonna wait a couple days between each of them so it doesn't become too much at once. lol**


	3. Lurking in the Shadows

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting**

 **Here it is chapter three. So, it's been forever since I've written for these characters, so any feedback on that is welcomed. Hoping they will come more naturally with time, but for now, hope they are coming across accurate enough.**

 **And let me know what ya think so far, still have three more chapters written up and ready for posting. C:**

* * *

 **Nami**

Night was approaching rather swiftly, and with the lack of a decent place to call it a night, Nami was more than a little concerned by this. Her eyes continued to wander to the sky above as the light waned and specs of light littered it. There was nothing too out of the ordinary, but staying out in the open in unknown territory wasn't something that sat well with her. Sighing, her attention darted back to Luffy as he struggled with getting a fire started, growling to himself with his growing frustration.

Honestly, she wondered how he had managed to survive for so long without the rest of them; watching him was near comical. As she scowled at the spectacle before her, a stronger gust of wind sauntered by, causing a harsh shiver to run through her. And, now that she thought about it, it was beginning to get rather cold out here...and fast.

"Nami?" her captain called out to her, eliciting a startled jump out of her, "can you start a fire?" He stared back at her, awaiting a reply.

Blinking a couple times, she exhaled heavily. "I don't know how to do that sort of thing, that was usually Sanji's job. He's the one with the lighter after all," he reminded. "Just...keep rubbing the sticks together, I'm sure you'll get a spark sooner or later." She closed her eyes and leaned against one of the trees, arms folding over her chest as the winds continued to pick up.

"But, this is taking to long," he sulked, dropping his hands to the ground in frustration. Seriously, he could be unbelievably impatient from time to time...or most of the time to be more exact. Again, the breeze sped up, and this time, there was something about it that sent a different type of shiver up her spine. Something was off about it, and her eyes snapped back to the sky. Just as she gazed up in curiosity, clouds, dark and tick, began to drift over head, slowly consuming the stars as they trailed.

"Luffy, I think it's better if we find somewhere else to stay...somewhere that's not out in the open," she suggested, eyes wide and unwavering. Just the sight was making her uneasy, and the appearance of this brewing weather reminded her of... "I think a storm's coming," she barely uttered, pushing herself up to her feet. With how hard and out of nowhere that earlier storm had hit, there was no way she was willing to risk getting caught in another of those.

"Why?" the captain asked, hands freezing mid-strike, "Is something wrong?" He followed her gaze in watching the changing scenery above. And, despite not having the same instincts as his trusty navigator, he couldn't deny that it was unsettling to witness.

The navigator hummed in confirmation. "Yeah, I don't know what, but I don't trust it," she replied, taking a few steps towards the other. "I just know that I don't want to be out here, this place doesn't seem to have normal weather," her voice was low and tight, her nerves festering under her skin at the mere thought of what this could entail.

"Mmmm," he hummed, lowering his eyes back down, "if you say so. I'll trust your hunch on this," he mumbled, making sure to snatch up the creature as he stood. No point in leaving it behind to go to waste. "Alright, off we go," he announced, his usual enthusiasm ever present before he strolled forward, setting their pace. Nami kept up with ease, but her gaze frequently darted to the heavens, each time showing a different picture than the last. It was getting worse, and quickly at that. Then it hit, a single drop striking the side of her face...followed by another, and a third until the droning 'plits' surrounded them.

Without a word of warning, Luffy sped up, increasing his speed until the other had to nearly sprint to keep up. "Hey," she called after him, slightly in offense, "slow down, would ya?" she asked, her request only getting drowned out by the cascading downfall. She had no choice, she just had to keep up; getting lost now was completely out of the question.

She wasn't sure how long they carried on, but the farther they traveled, the lighter the rains became, slowly dispersing until it was nothing more than a light sprinkle. And, the winds dwindled to barely anything. Either they somehow were able to outrun the storm, or it was a rather small one and they broke free of its range. By the time they had finally slowed down, a new sound entered the area, but this one was quite more relaxing, more welcoming in a sense.

"Can we stop now?" she asked, breath coming out in quick pants. The other came to a halting stop, digging his heels into the earth to slow his momentum as he turned on the spot. "Thanks," she breathed out, instantly dropping into a sitting position.

Once she could breathe properly, she glanced around, her breath again faltering. It was stunning, a huge contrast from their previous location anyway. And, that sound from earlier, upon further inspection, it was easy to locate the source: a stream, flowing nearby, its peaceful babbling drained some of the tension from her shoulders. This place was far better than the other, here she at least felt at ease. That's not to say she was still skeptical, but this area didn't scream threatening.

Saying nothing, Luffy dropped down as well a few feet away and got back to work on rubbing a couple of sticks together, gritting his teeth as he did so. He kept this up for a few minutes, not stopping until a spark of hope flew from the wood. Smile widening, he took that as a sign to go at it even harder.

"What do you suppose the others are up to?" Nami asked, desperate to breathe the heavy and thick silence and drew her knees up to wrap her arms around. She leaned the side of her face against it and gazed at the other as he met her gaze.

He hummed to himself in thought, hands never ceasing their task. "Well, if I had to guess, Zoro is probably lost or something, wouldn't be the first time," he chuckled lightly at the thought of that. "Usopp and Chopper, I'm sure they're bravely waiting for others to come along. Robin would mostly likely be trying to learn more about this place. And Sanji, I think it's a safe bet to say he's too busy looking for you and Robin," he sighed, knowing how accurate that most likely was. Then, as the fire finally roared to life, he leapt up, both hands in the air in celebration. "Finally!" he cheered, "Now, to cook this up," he beamed, plucking the animal back off the ground.

Nami couldn't hide her amused grin at the sight. "You really think so?" she asked, going back to the original topic.

"Oh yeah," he waved a dismissive hand. "This crew can handle anything, and this will be nothing for them. Stop worrying so much, they're fine," he assured, propping their meal over the licking flames.

The redhead nodded to herself, wanting nothing more than to believe he was right. But, knowing them, they were all too stubborn, and if anything, they were likely faring better than the two of them were. Believing all that to be true, she stared at the flames, soaking in their warmth and let her mind wander to more positive thoughts.

* * *

 **Usopp**

"How much farther do we have to go, I'm completely exhausted," the sharpshooter whined from the back, all traces of his earlier eagerness deceased. It left a shell behind, a droning and sapped shell. They hadn't been going on for a particularly long time, but all it took was a bit of time with no results to sour the liar's mood once more; his feet dragged on and his head hung low. Though, this was something they were used to by now, so no one said a word, not really up for playing along this time around. He'd get over it, just like he always did time and time again. "Come on, isn't it going to be getting darker soon?" he asked, finally raising his attention to look at something other than the ground. "I'd rather not be out here by then."

This got the historian's attention, and hearing that, she, too, looked to the sky. "You're right..it should be," she agreed, her tone containing an element of skepticism. "However, it shouldn't be getting this dark this quickly," she observed. Gazing around as far as the thickness of the trees would allow, something else caught her focus. Another portion of the sky...it was brighter, almost like it was earlier in the day in that area. "This is strange," she muttered to herself.

"What is it?" Chopper asked, now interested in the conversation. His eyes were wide with concern at the expression on Robin's face. Whatever it was, even she appeared perplexed by it.

"I've never seen anything like this before," she uttered under her breath in both amazement and worry. "It looks as though time zones are all over the place, time and weather are moving at different paces, it looks like," she summed up. Or, that's what it appeared to be to her. She could have been wrong, but it wouldn't have been the strangest thing she's seen. This was the Grand Line after all, so things like this were quickly becoming the norm.

Usopp straightened up, his mouth hanging open in either fear or interest, he wasn't sure which. "But, what does that mean?" he asked, voice wavering marginally.

"I'm not sure, it might not mean anything," she replied, unfazed by this new information. "Though, it would definitely warp out sense of time, and that alone could be troublesome. Like I said, I've never seen or heard of anything like this before, and I find it quite fascinating to put it lightly."

Once again, the sniper fell back into his rut, leaning back forward. "Only you could find something like this fascinating," he sighed, not at all understanding the woman's way of thinking; it was something that was beyond him. He, on the other hand, was struggling not to show how freaked out he was on the inside. Taking a deep breath, he righted his posture, putting on a forced and brave front as he did so. "Though, this is nothing to the Great Captain Usopp!" he declared victoriously. "I have conquered many islands of this nature, and though they were challenging and tedious, I came out on top." By the time he was finished with his show of fantasy, he had his hands on his hips as he stared heroically at the treetops.

"Really!?"Chopper chimed up, glints of inspiration in his eyes "That's so coooool!" he practically bounced on the spot, completely captivated by the tale.

"Have you now?" Robin asked, smirking. "Care to explain your findings then?" Her smile stretched at the deflation of his pose.

His mouth formed a straight line before he relaxed and nervously cleared his throat. "I'd rather not," he muttered, "It's a long story, and besides, I think it's a story best suited for when everyone is present. I'd hate to, uh, have to tell it all again. You know how it is," he chuckled anxiously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I can't wait," the doctor excitedly declared, his gaze still lit with admiration. But, in the midst of it all, he perked up, his nose twitching as it registered something in the air. The sudden shift in his demeanor sent alarm bells ringing in the others' ears, and they both exchanged a worried look. "Guys…" he muttered, turning to face towards another direction, one that lead deeper in the forest.

"What is it, Chopper?" Robin asked, soaking in the seriousness of the atmosphere.

Slowly, he turned to face the others, "I smell something," he mumbled, "and, it smells like blood...fresh blood."

* * *

 **Sanji**

Despite how exhausted and drained he was, it took a bit longer than he expected to actually manage to fall asleep. But, once he was graced with the relief of it, he was gone, drifted so far gone beyond hope of returning anytime soon. All that fatigue, all his body's pleas for rest, it all hit at once, and hard at that. Surprisingly, for once, it was the swordsman that struggled to fall asleep and stay asleep; he dozed in and out of it throughout the night, never able to stay in the world of slumber for more than thirty minutes at a time.

After the tenth time of waking up, he grumbled incoherently to himself and pushed himself to sit up straighter. At this rate, he was better off just staying awake. He tried to brush his inability to get some rest on the fact that their shelter wasn't the ideal in the comfort category, but deep down, he knew that wasn't the case. His attention unconsciously traveled to the still sleeping cook, the blond hadn't budged since he drifted off, which, as much as he hated to openly notify, was a bit concerning. But, he left him be, with the wind coupled with lack of nicotine, he was sure he would benefit from as much rest as possible.

Though, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little annoyed. As willing as he was to let the blond sleep, he also knew the sooner they got back out there, the better their chances at finding the others were. "Idiot cook," he muttered, "Always finding some way to mess things up, aren't you?" It was spoken quietly to himself, just under his breath. But, that was all it took to stir the other. "Finally awake, are you?" he questioned in amusement.

"Hmm," he hummed to himself, groggily. "Shuddup," he slurred out, clearly still combating his exhaustion. Forcing himself to sit up, he cracked one eye open. "I'm more amazed to see you awake, it's rare," he commented, craning his neck to the side to stretch the aches out of his stiff muscles.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't sleep," he huffed, folding his arms.

Groaning in discomfort as he sat up, he mumbled a low, "Never thought I'd hear you say that." But, it was void of its normal venom.

"I'm sure you've noticed, but this isn't what I would call a good place to sleep. Woke up every two seconds with a crook in my neck or a kink in my back," he responded. "To be honest, I'm shocked you managed to sleep for as long as you did with this setup."

Forcing a smirk onto his face, Sanji gave a little, "It was the only break I could get from you. And, it worked until you woke me up."

"You got something to say?" the swordsman snapped back. The blond may have been in pain, but that didn't give him the right to speak to him like that.

"I just did, idiot, didn't you hear me?" He looked right at the other, daggers glaring in his blues. Just as quickly, they dulled, and a flash of remorse skitted across them. "Sorry," he sighed, the apology caught Zoro off guard. "Just a bit...irritated at the moment is all."

The other man did the same, relaxed his tensions and leaned back. "Right," he uttered, "lack of nicotine." He guessed he'd have to be putting up with quite a bit of that for some time now. "How is it, by the way?" he asked off-handedly, nodding to the chef's right leg. "Your wound, I mean, still bothering you?" It felt so awkward asking, showing any form of concern was unbefitting, but he needed the man to be in passable condition.

"You don't need to act worried," Sanji assured, "it's fine." There was something in his tone, something that didn't come out as natural, and it took Zoro a moment to figure out it was more like he was trying to convince himself than anyone else. Regardless of the more intense waves of pain, he kept his discomforts to himself, bottled up and stored away.

The other raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then you won't mind letting me take a look."

"What, you don't believe me?"

"No, I don't, now let me take a look," he near demanded, getting to his feet before the blond could reply. He stared down at Sanji, his piercing gaze daring him to deny the offer.

The cook didn't argue, just wasn't in the mood to do so, which was odd in and of itself. Zoro tentatively moved across the stone until he was standing before him, and slowly, he lowered himself to kneel next to the cook's bad leg. He offered on glance of warning before his fingers gingerly pinched the edge of the material; instantly, the injured man's muscles tensed with the touch. As carefully as he was able, he lifted the pants leg, earning a few pained hisses and gasps in the process. "I'm being as gentle as I can," he promised.

"Just...do it quickly," the other seethed through clenched teeth. It was like a band-aid, had to get it over with fast.

Nodding, the swordsman quickly raised it the rest of the way to reveal the sodden bandana underneath. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed hold of that next, cringing inwardly at the way blood was already soaking through. Finally, he had it up enough to take in the sight underneath. "Damn," he muttered, instantly wincing at the realization that that was spoken aloud. The gash appeared angry, red tinted the area around it, and it was swollen. They needed to get it cleaned...and soon. He untied the material the rest of the way. No way he'd be able to salvage it now, and he chucked it aside.

"Let me guess," Sanji breathed out between sharp inhales, "it's infected?" Zoro merely nodded in response, dragging a sigh from the other. "We should, uh, look for the others," he suggested, changing the subject. "It's not that bad right now, right? Which means we're still able to search for them."

"Wait," Zoro stopped him before he could try standing. "Normally, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but we're in the middle of nowhere with no means of dealing with this. So, I'd say it's pretty damn serious," he said, his patience wearing thin with the man's everlasting stubbornness. "First, I think we should find some water and get that cleaned up. You think you can walk alright?"

There was hesitation, but he answered with confidence, "What kind of question is that? Not like it's broken or anything," he scoffed, yanking his pant's leg back down. And, just to prove a point, he bit down into his lower lip and using the cave wall for support, pulled himself to stand on his own two feet, albeit more heavily on the left one. "See? It's fine." Staggering for a second, he forced himself to walk, making his way precariously to the cave entrance. "Now, hurry up before I decide to leave you here."

"Like you could at that pace," the green-haired man retorted, wondering why he even bothered trying with him.

Their going was slow and tedious but it couldn't be helped; any faster and Sanji probably wouldn't have been able to stay on his feet. Though, the longer they carried on, the farther behind he fell, until he was a good few yards behind the other. Like the day before, Zoro slowed his pace to compensate for his hindered walking. The blond rolled his eyes at the obvious change, but kept up in silence.

After a few more minutes of traversing, the swordsman slowed down to a near stop. "Hey," the other exclaimed, almost running into him, "What's the big id-"

"Shh," Zoro pressed a hand against the other's mouth, only to have it slapped away. But, he obliged and remained quiet when he became aware of the weight of the situation. He glanced around, trying to wage what it was that had him on edge all of a sudden. Then he heard it...a subtle rustle here, a seemingly insignificant shuffle there. "I think we're being followed," he clarified, right hand instinctively finding the hilt of one of his katana.

Sanji, on the other hand, grit his teeth in anticipation, knowing full well there was no way he'd be able to defend himself should the need arise. And, the fact that he'd have no choice but to rely on the other did nothing to improve his bittering emotions. He stuck close to Zoro, keeping his eyes peeled as they darted around the vicinity. "Do you see anyth-" he was interrupted by a hiss of pain, his hand flying to his neck to investigate the stinging that assaulted it.

"What is it?" the other asked, curring his eyes in his direction just in time to see him sway on his feet. Before he had the chance to reach out for him, a similar stabbing sensation struck his neck as well. "Dammit," he swore, reaching up and yanking the protruding object from himself. As he looked it over, a solid 'thud' called for his attention, and he noticed two things at once: That it was a dart he was just shot with, and the chef had just collapsed, unconscious, on the ground next to him.

He blinked heavily a few times, trying to chase away the fog that closed in on him. His mouth was suddenly dry and his vision was blurring dangerously fast. "W-Who's," he stuttered, tongue heavy and thick, like it was replaced with cotton, "there?" He dropped to his knees, his breath catching in his chest as it tightened around his lungs.

Next thing he knew, he was down, his limbs refusing to cooperate with him, his mouth refused to form anymore words. Not too much longer, and he could hardly make out shapes, and the last thing he was aware of was steps...drawing closer. There was more than one pair, but he never saw them, darkness enveloped him before he had the chance to.


	4. Captured

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting**

 **Haven't had any complaints yet, so I'll take that as a sign that I'm doing a decent job of this. lol**

* * *

 **Nami**

After the creature had time to cook over the open flames, Luffy took the first bite, not that his navigator had any complaints, better him than her. After all, if anything was wrong with it, he'd be able to tolerate it. To put it lightly, he was the best tester. Then again, he also wasn't very picky, so it could very well be godawful and she would never know. She sighed at that. Oh well, beggars couldn't be choosers, and it had been a while since they'd last eaten. At this point, she was about willing to try anything.

"Hey, it's not that bad," the captain announced in between mouthfuls. "Hey, you should really try this," he said, holding a piece of it out for her to take. At first, she was hesitant, eyeing the scrap skeptically.

She watched it carefully for a few moments, and heaving a heavy breath, finally accepted the offer. "Well," she whispered, "here goes nothing." And, with that, she carefully took a small nibble, chewing slowly as she waited for the gamey taste to hit, or for the foulness of it to sink in. But, much to her surprise, it never did; in fact, Luffy was right, it wasn't bad at all. "I...suppose it passes," she shrugged, trying to sound casual about it. Nothing like what we usually have, but I guess it's alright.

At that, Luffy beamed. "I say, when we get everyone together, and before we leave this place, we gather a few more of these. I bet Sanji could do something amazing with it." He practically drooled with the idea of it, the possibilities. She just took a few more bites, letting the other have the rest, he needed more anyway.

For a while after that, they just sat idly by the fire, relishing in its warmth and comfort for some time, watching as it cast shadows all around. It was relaxing in a sense, if you didn't think about the potential danger the rest of the crew was in, that is. There was no telling what they were going through, and here they were...relaxing and having a nice meal of all things. It was almost enough to make her sick to her stomach, but not quite. She inhaled deeply and leaned back, opening her mouth to say something, but a light snore caught her ear and instantly made her pause.

"Nevermind," she whispered, making herself comfortable for a long night. With Luffy already asleep, she guessed that left her to keep watch for the night. Taking her new duty seriously, she prepared herself, sitting up straighter and making sure she wasn't at risk of falling asleep, regardless of how tired she was.

For the majority of the night, she remained like that, unmoving and uncomfortable. Boy, what she wouldn't give to be back on the Sunny right about now. Even sleeping on the deck sounded like heaven compared to this. At least the two of them were together, so they had that going for them. She watched as the captain's chest rose and fell, and somehow, it managed to set her mind at ease. With him, she at least knew that they'd be alright.

* * *

It was so bright, rays of sunlight pierced through her eyelids, rudely disturbing her from her peaceful slumber. Groaning from the intrusion, the navigator rolled over, trying to rid herself of the unwelcomed nuisance. One of her arms automatically draped itself over her eyes in an automatic attempt to shield them from the onslaught. Just as she was about to drift off again, something in her mind urged her against, and in one fluid movement, she snapped into an upright position.

Panting heavy breaths, Nami glanced around, the lighting completely different from what she remembered it being last. "Oh no…" she uttered, putting two and two together, and she had to fight the temptation to slap herself. She had one job...keep watch, and she somehow managed to screw that up.

She quickly looked around, as if something could have happened while her guard was down. Luckily, everything was in place. Everything except for…"Luffy?" she called out, seeing no signs of the irresponsible captain. There was no reply, only the morning greetings of the local wildlife replied to her voice. "Luffy!?" she called louder, getting to her feet. Her hands fell to her sides as she continued to scan the area...but there was nothing...no sign of him anywhere. Where could he have disappeared to. Surely he wouldn't have left her there alone, would he?

No, that was ridiculous, he would never do a thing like that, not unless he was sure she'd be alright there by herself like that. The fire was burned out, and there were no clear signs of struggle as far as she could see, so that took a scuffle out of the equation. Besides, that would have woken her up anyway.

With no idea of what else to do, she sat back down. If he left of his own volition, then he'd return as well, all she had to do was wait. But, she really hoped he knew how much he was setting them back with this little disappearing act, they had to get a move o- "AH!" she cried out, something landed a few feet away, rather loudly at that. The force of it sent a mini shock wave up her spine and shuffled the trees around her.

"Oh, you're awake," she recognized that voice, and...that wide grin beaming at her in pure innocence.

"Well, if I wasn't I sure am now!" she snapped back, her pulse still thrumming through her veins. Her heart was beating a thousand times a minute, putting her a little bit on edge. "Where were you?" she demanded, her patience gone the moment he nearly gave her a heart attack.

Without a word, the captain pointed upward, as if that answer her question. Raising an eyebrow, she followed the gesture, right to the tree tops. "I was up there," he said with a sense of nonchalance, like it was obvious. "I figured I'd get somewhere up high and get a good view of the place," he shrugged. "And, I think I saw something," he informed ecstatically. "I saw civilization...and the others could be there."

"What!?" she exclaimed, forgetting all about everything else; it could wait, this was far more important. "Well, go on! Tell me where it is?" He wasted no time in waving her along, ready to show the way.

"I think it was this way," he said deep in thought, "but, it was pretty far off," he warned. She didn't care, they could walk for days for all she cared. As long it was a chance to meet up with the others, then it would have been worth all the trouble.

* * *

 **Ussop**

"What do you mean blood?" the sniper asked, voice an octave higher than normal. "You mean...like, real blood?" he questioned further, a sense of unease accompanying his tone. He looked to Chopper for answers, really not liking the way he was hesitating with his replies.

There was something he wasn't telling them, he could see it in the doctor's features, something important. "Chopper?" Robin pressed, having the same inquiries on her own mind. "What else is there?"

The reindeer swallowed thickly, his unwavering gaze never leaving the forest. "I think...I think I smell faint smoke as well. Like cigarette smoke," he clarified, knowing that it had to mean it was Sanji. But, picking up his scent, as well as the aroma of fresh blood was enough to make his skin crawl with unease. "I...I think Sanji's hurt," he said, that news tasting bitter as it rolled off his tongue.

"Are you sure?" Ussop asked, hoping there was some sort of misunderstanding, there had to be. "You sure it's not animal blood?"

"I don't know, I can't tell, it's too faint, too far away," he said, but it didn't help calm the others any. It still meant there was a possibility that one of their own was wounded and in need of help. "We have to go help though," he said with determination. "I'm the doctor, and I have to make sure everything is alright," he declared, leaving no room for discussion.

The historian had to laugh in amusement at that. "I was about to say the same thing," she agreed. "We better hurry then, don't want to leave him waiting do we?" she questioned, looking down to Chopper with a soft expression. "Let's go, Mr. Doctor," she said with a warm smile.

"Yeah," he nodded, taking the lead and taking off, knowing the others would easily be able to keep up with him. He consistently sniffed the air, following the scent as closely as possible and made sure to keep them on the right trail. The scent soon grew stronger, more clear...and it definitely wasn't animal blood, it was human. His mind raced as it started overwhelming his sensitive nose until it was about the only thing he could make out anymore.

They were getting close, it was unmistakable. The copper mixed unmistakably with the smoke; the two were nearly indistinguishable from one another. He couldn't tell where one scent ended and the other began. "We're close," he told them, unwittingly increasing his speed to the point where he may as well have been running. 'Please be safe,' he prayed to himself, his body now moving on its own accord closer and closer to the source. There was no telling what he was about to come across, and he feared the worse. But, whatever it was, he had to keep a level head, and he absolutely could not, under any circumstances, let them know how panicked he was on the inside.

They were almost on top of it now, he could smell it, and he slowed down, descending into an almost creep as a stone structure came within view. Upon close inspection, he figured out it was a cave, and his blood ran cold. It was coming from inside, he knew it. Different thoughts filled his imagination...like, what if something dragged him in there? What if some animal had gotten a hold of him?

He shook his head, he couldn't think like that, he couldn't allow himself to get distracted when they were right there. "It's coming from inside," he told the others, his voice barely above a whisper.

He sauntered on, his pace a ghost of what it was before; to be honest, he was utterly terrified of what they'd find. Creeping to the entrance, Chopper was the first to peer inside. "Sanji?" he called out, the name echoed eerily off the stone walls, his own voice bounced back, being the only reply he received. "Hello?" he called out again, the lack of a response not boding well at all.

Tentatively, he stepped inside, the other two close behind. "Are you sure he's here?" the sharpshooter questioned. Though, to be honest, the fact that they were seeing no one was kind of good news. It meant that wherever he was, there was a chance he was still able to walk around and move on his own.

"Y-Yeah, I'm completely sure. He was here...at some point," he added, scratching the back of his head in confusion. The scent was so strong, he was sur- "Wait," he breathed out, slowly walking farther in. He gradually stepped over to something lying on the stone floor, it was familiar in a sense. "Zoro?" he mouthed, now remembering who the green garment belonged to. He was here as well? "Guys, Sanji isn't alone, Zoro's with him," he informed, earning a small sigh of relief from the others. Even of the chef was hurt, he wasn't alone.

But, as he crouched, the stench of metal became unbearable, and there was something else, another foul smell mixed in with the blood. Taking it in, his heart sank. This was bad.

"Everything alright?" Robin asked, strolling up behind him, then her eyes found what he was looking at, and it was absolutely soaked in blood.

"Guys," he breathed out, "something's really wrong." Both of them simultaneously felt their chests constrict with worry and fear. "I-I think the wound is infected...I can smell it, it reeks of bacteria." He turned to face them, his eyes wide in terror bright within them. "We have to find them, as quickly as possible."

* * *

 **Zoro**

His skull was filled to the brim with cotton, so stuffed it somehow managed to leak into his mouth as well. He groaned with the effort it took to process what was going on, what happened, or even where the hell he was. The first thing that really registered was the surface he was lying on, it was rough...and grainy, like dirt. He was on the ground, which was odd. Last thing he remembered was… His eyes snapped open, the festering light hardly bothering him in his frantic awakening.

Zoro took in deep breaths, his gaze flicking from side to side, trying to figure out where he was, but his attention landed on something, or someone, else instead. "Psst," he stretched his leg out to nudge the other with his toe. "Hey, sanji, wake up ya shithead," he hissed between clenched teeth. The other hardly moved, just whimpered in protest and shuffled lightly in his sleep.

Curiously, his gaze trailed down his still form, searching its way down to his leg. His eyes narrowed as he stared down at it, worry really starting to grip him now. But, he didn't get much chance to dwell on it before the chef finally showed signs of waking. His first reaction was to draw in a sharp gasp, one hand automatically reached down for his wound, clearly causing him a deal of pain.

"Sanji," he called out again, this time getting the other man to pry one unfocused eye open. "Wake up already," he demanded, giving him another prod with his toes.

"M'awake," he mumbled, lifting a hand to rub at his eyes. "What d'ya want?" he slurred, forcing his other eye open to glare at the other man.

Zoro took another look around, noticing for the first time the bars that surrounded them. "I hate to disturb your slumber, but I think we have a problem here," he muttered, the tone enticing the blond to take a look around for himself. To say they had a problem was the understatement of the century.

"What th'hell?" he groaned, propping himself up on his elbow. He winced as his leg was jostled, sending waves of searing agony up the limb, and he couldn't stifle the gasp that leaked out. The chef had to bite down to avoid making further noise, he still had a little pride left that he wished to hold on to for at least a little bit longer.

The swordsman narrowed his eyes at the uncharacteristic yelp. "You good?" he asked, trying to come across as indifferent, but the floodgates were crumbling, and a bit of the pent up concern was drizzling through the cracks. "Is it, you know, any worse?"

"It's fine," Sanji ground out, a light sheen of sweat sprouting across his forehead. "Stop asking about it, I said it a thousand times already, it will be fine, alright?" he snapped, maneuvering his way into a sitting position. "Damn, this sucks, I need a fucking smoke right about now," he whispered in annoyance.

"Why, so you can kill yourself faster?" the other scoffed.

Sanji shot him an irritated glare. "No, this shitty gash is doing that fine job on it's ow-. Just...just shut your mouth already." He took a deep breath to calm himself. "It's the withdrawals, I'm sure," he brushed off. Zoro figured that was supposed to be his way of apologizing, but it fell a little short in the sincere department.

Rolling his eyes, the swordsman glanced him over one more time, really not too keen on the way his cheeks had a pinkish hue to them. "You feeling alright?"

"No, I'm not 'feeling alright,'" he replied immediately. "Feel like shit and my leg hurts like hell," he admitted, all dignity out the window; he was quickly losing his ability to care anymore though. He took a shuddering breath and scooted close enough to the bars to lean against them. Now, it was his turn to take in their surroundings, and he couldn't figure out what was going on either. They were clearly in a cage and still outside. But, looking a little closer, he could make out structures, just through the trees...like a village of sorts.

He was about to ask more questions, but something press against his forehead, the unexpectedness of it cause his reaction time to suffer. "Hey!" he cried out, jerking away from the touch. "The hell you think you're doing?"

"You're sick," Zoro stated flatly, ignoring the other man's obvious displeasure with the intrusion of space.

"I said I'm fine," he stubbornly repeated, he was just like a broken record. "It's hot out here, alright?"

"You have a fever, you idiot. It's not that hot, not enough to feel that warm," he pressed on, refusing to back down on this.

Sanji, stared back at him. "And even if I do, what do you plan on doing? In case you haven't noticed, we've been locked up in a cage like a couple of animals. I think a little fever is the least of our worries right now." Just that short and heated rant was enough to wear him out, his breathing became labored and he had to stop to catch it. "Let's...focus on getting out of here," he suggested, tone lighter.

The green-haired man breathed out a heavy exhale; he didn't know what he expected, the guy was too stubborn. "Yeah, I can get behind that," he agreed, glancing over to see the other with his eyes closed again, his chest heaving with his mouth slightly parted. He just hoped that when they did get out of here, he'd be able to carry himself. The last thing he wanted to do was have to haul his half-dead ass out of this place.


	5. Mother of Thunder

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting**

* * *

 **Guest : Why thank you so much, relieved to see some are still enjoying this so far. XD And, about Franky, I will be brought up, and he will make an appearance before the end of this. I haven't forgotten about him. :D But, it's still a few chapters before he's mentioned because of all that's going on. I have plans for him though. C:**

* * *

 **Zoro**

Quite some time had gone by before he so much as saw another person saunter by, but they were far away, just a few feet from the structures. Quietly. He watched as more bustled about, as if they were just waking up. And, soon enough, it appeared to be a pretty populated area.

He averted his attention back over to the cook, who had allowed his eyes to close quite a while ago. Maybe it was for the best, he needed the sleep, and from the pallidness of his features, a lot of it at that. As much as he despised relying on others for help, he really wished they were around to get them out of this mess. With his swords confiscated, and the other practically out of commission, they were sitting ducks.

Zoro tapped his fingers against the ground with impatience as the commotion of the village coming to life teased the edges of his hearing. Just what the hell did they want with the two of them anyway? Were they prisoners or something? The fact that they had the nerve to sneak up on them and actually succeed rubbed him the wrong way; it was shameful, to say the least.

Then, he perked up, footsteps could be heard, slowly growing louder and getting closer. His intense gaze instantly fell on the owner of them, a rather large man, curved blade swishing at his hip as he approached their cage. Without a word of warning, and speed that could challenge the swordsman's, he raked the weapon across the bars. The 'dings' and 'rings' the produced echoed off the inside of Zoro's skull.

"Hey," he snapped in offense, right hand rubbing at one of his ears. "You mind keeping it down?"

The larger man scoffed to himself. "Chief said to make sure you fellas were awake, and that's jus' what I'm doin'," he smiled, revealing his aged and yellowing molars, much to the other's disgust. Then, deep green eyes ventured to the blond, who hadn't stirred from his rude intrusion. "Hey!" the man yelled, striking the metal again, closer to Sanji. "Wake the'ell up!"

"Knock it off," Zoro warned, his teeth bared. "If you want him awake so badly, then I'll do it. No need to wake the whole damn world." Stepping back, the other man watched him expectantly, urging him to do so if he insisted. His blade twirled itchingly in his hand as he waited.

Taking a deep breath, the swordsman inched close enough to nudge Sanji with his elbow. "Hey, idiot, you in there?" he asked, continuing his prodding until the other pulled away from it with a mumbled complaint under his breath. "It's time to wake up, quit takin' your time already." At that, the blond cracked a bleary eye open to scowl at his offender. As that single look caught something else, it snapped open along with the other as he became aware of the third presence.

"Who're you?" he asked groggily, venom in his tone and sparks of fire in his eye. There was something about him, maybe the way he was looking at them, like they were animals, that instantly made him despise him. "What? You just gonna stand there and stare?" he questioned snippily, sitting up. Even though his wound pleaded him against it, he straightened up and refused to show any sign of vulnerability in front of this guy.

Suddenly, the sword ceased its twirling as he held it tightly in his grasp. "Good," he nodded. "Now, you two sit tight while I fetch the others," he said, a hint of excitement in his tone.

As he sauntered away, the other two watched his back, and neither could put their finger on it, but he just came off as intimidating to the both of them, like crossing him would be a mistake. "So, friend of yours?" Sanji asked in amusement, clearly trying to lighten the mood. Although, as soon as the man was out of sight, he allowed his tough facade to falter and his face scrunched in pain and discomfort.

"As if," the other replied, casting Sanji a glance. "Apparently his leader or whatever wants to see us," he filled in, keeping it short and sweet.

The chef hummed in acknowledgement, annoyed that he had to be woken for that, couldn't it have waited a few more minutes. Already, his eyelids were pulling down again. "Was hoping to just sleep through this whole thing," he sighed longingly. His leg was really letting him have it now, making it harder and harder to ignore as it throbbed with searing flames. At least when he was asleep, he didn't have to tolerate it.

"Yeah, well, when you're someone's hostage, don't expect to be treated like a guest," Zoro remarked. He wasn't sure if it was just him imagining things, but the other's face appeared a bit more flushed than it was earlier, and there was now an unmistakable sheen on his forehead.

For the first time, the chef made the move to check on his leg without having to be forced and lectured to do so. He had to make sure it wasn't really being lit on fire. All his fingers did was brush over the material before currents of agony pulsed form the limb, causing him to clench his jaw to prevent a whimper from sounding out. Eventually, he peeled the fabric out of the way, and the hiss that ensued wasn't from the pain it produced, but rather the sight of the injury.

Even Zoro was taken aback from seeing it, and he couldn't imagine having to walk on it in that state. If there were any doubts about it being infected before, the were instantly shooed away. "That doesn't look good," he muttered automatically, the words just slipping out.

"You don't have to tell me," Sanji whispered, a slight waver in his voice. It really did look terrible, and with how quickly it was getting worse… "It'll be fine," he mumbled, shoving the pants leg back down.

"You keep tellin' yourself that," Zoro replied, his brows knit in uncontained worry for his crewmate. They may have had their arguments, but when it came down to it, seeing the other like this was...upsetting to say the least. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the man approaching again, this time with three more men behind him. Each of them appeared just as capable as the last, and he couldn't help but nervously grin at that.

The original man looked to the two on the right. "You two, escort the scrawny one. We'll handle the mouthy one," he instructed, unlocking the the cage and slowly it swung open with a skin-crawling 'creak'. The others wasted no time in snatching the chef up, yanking him to his feet with zero regard to his bad leg, even tugging him along when said leg attempted to buckle under him.

"Hey!" the swordsman snapped, on the verge of letting his emotions take over when two hefty grips wrapped around his upper arms. "He's hurt, careful, would ya?" he asked, trying to pull against the two men, but they were surprisingly strong, stronger than he had expected. All he could do was grit his teeth in anger and frustration when his words were completely and utterly brushed off. Sanji, very uncharacteristically, let out a pained cry when he was forced to walk before he was ready. If it weren't for the two burly men holding him up, Zoro doubted he would have still been standing.

"Hurry up," one of them demanded, practically dragging him along. "You're making this harder than it has to be."

Zoro was receiving the same treatment, only difference was that he could withstand it, his body in a condition to withstand such rough handling. He breathed heavily through his nose in frustration, struggling to bite back his growing anger. Saying the wrong thing when they were at their disposal wouldn't have been his brightest moment. He had no choice but to shove his pride and dignity down for the sake of his crewmate. And, dammit, he was going to seriously owe him for this.

The others strolled in front of him, forcing him to watch the whole way as the chef stumbled and was dragged back to his feet every few seconds. His heart was pounding and his fingers twitching, begging to be filled with the familiar weight of one of his katanas. But, here he was, just as helpless and with two surprisingly strong clasps on either of his arms. He knew for a fact that it would be a miracle if they didn't leave some sort of bruise in the near future.

Soon, they were upon the village, moving just above a snail's pace thanks to the blond. All the way, wandering and curious gazes fell on them, watching them with both curiosity and distrust as they inched along. His deep and daring gaze drifted over the lot of them, eliciting quiet and fearful murmurs between them. Not much better, but it was ideal compared to being stared at. He ripped his attention away from them when he was tugged along, a slight grumble escaped one of the men leading him.

"We're almost there; I'd suggest bitin' yer tongue while in the chief's presence...unless you wanna lose it," the original man instructed, a small smirk and glint of sadistic pleasure in his eye.

The swordsman narrowed his eyes as they drew closer to a large hut, easily putting the others around it to shame when it came to size. And that wasn't even taking into account the elaborate decorating of it. It was nothing to be considered impressive by any means, but when you kept in mind the appearance of most village structures, it was unexpected. And, the closer they got, the more intimidating it became until they were right in front of its entrance.

One of the men guiding Sanji broke away to knock on the door, the back of hand sent light 'bangs' resounding off the surface. "Chief, we brought 'em," he announced, glancing over his shoulder as if they could have suddenly vanished. "We're ready whenever you are." With that, he backed away and grabbed back ahold of the cook's arm, yanking him up straighter in the process.

"Remember to mind yer manners," the main said, fighting back a morbid chuckle as he did so. He was getting far too much enjoyment out of all of this for Zoro's comfort. But, he didn't have long to dwell on such matters before the door creaked open, the whine of it sending chills down his spine. As soon as there was enough room, the moved, nearly dragging the both of them along without giving them a chance to move on their own or a warning at the very least.

As the green-haired man was shoved and pulled along, his attention was more or less attracted to the form towards the back of the room; with the grand sight of. Then, all his rising complaints simmered down. Surprisingly elegant apparel draped the form, and a more than exquisite headdress rested on their head.

As they stood up, the both of them stared, stunned and taken aback. Now, upright, they circled around the fire that sat at the foot of the throne to stand in front of them. "Chief," one of them warned, not liking the closeness between them. But, a hand was held up to silence him.

"Silence," the soft and feminine voice demanded, her features set in an expression of authority. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you," she reminded a bit snippily.

After letting her heavy stare linger on the man for a little bit longer, she turned her attention to the two 'guests', eyeing them up and down for a moment and shifting her weight to one side. "I hope you guys know, we don't exactly appreciate intruders," she accused, ferocity in her tone.

"'Intruders'?" Zoro repeated in disbelief. "Do I need to remind you how we got here?" he bit, fury bubbling up his throat again. "If I remember correctly, it was you guys who dragged us back to this place." Sanji merely looked between the two of them, attention perhaps drifting to the chief more, but he still focused on both.

At his minor outburst, she folded her arms and straightened her posture. "I do not mean our village," she clarified. I mean you and your friends...coming to this island; it's not welcomed. No one is."

"Apologies," the cook spoke up, quietly between heavy breaths. "But, you see, Your Highness, it...was not our intention." He paused for a moment to clear his throat, the inside of it burned and itched. "We...sorta...well, our ship got caught in a storm-"

"I know," she interrupted. "Though, I did not expect there to be survivors," she admitted. "I have to say, it's not common outsiders can withstand my storms," she pondered aloud. "I was impressed, if not a little annoyed to see that at least a couple survived." Then, her jade gaze trailed down the blond, noticing the dark stains and the way he favored his right leg. And, she had the audacity to smile to herself at the realization. "So far, anyway."

Zoro was unsure how his teeth weren't cracking with how tightly they were clenched together. Was she honestly suggesting the other was going to die? Right in front of him? He could deal with the being tugged around and gawked at like a menace, but to say something like that to him… "That's only if we don't kill you and get out of here fir-" he threatened, taking an involuntary step forward, but his promise was cut short, pointed objects directed themselves towards his neck and chest. He swallowed nervously and relaxed his posture, much to his irritation.

Even still, she didn't budge, unphased by his sudden movement, or his words. She really didn't see any reason to fear him, and that only served to fire up his emotions further. "I didn't have you two brought here to listen to your meaningless rants. What I want to know, is this: Are there more of you here, other than you two? Or did they die in the crash?"

The swordsman's heart could physically be felt stopping and dropping into his frozen core. He really had no idea, but now that he knew that storm had been on purpose, that someone had actually intended to end them, it made him rethink this whole thing. "They're dead," he announced with confidence, his gaze piercing straight through her with revenge swirling. "All of them, it's just the two of us." He didn't bother glancing over to witness the other man's reaction, he could already picture it; he just hoped he understood what he was trying to do here.

Fortunately, Sanji kept his mouth shut; to be fair, he didn't know himself whether that was true or not, but he thought it safe to assume Zoro knew what he was doing. Not that he cared to own up to it, but he had to trust his instincts.

"I see," she thought out loud, words mumbled. "Then, what was it that brought you all here in the first place? There is nothing here for you," she demanded, waving a hand for the guards to stand down and allow the man to breathe.

"That damn storm did!" he snapped, not learning his lesson from last time. However, the spears never appeared, they all stayed put, unsure of how to react. Never before had someone spoken to their leader like that, and to put it simply, it was her response they were most anticipating. Zoro held his breath as silence and unease filled the room, and he unconsciously tensed under its weight.

Much to their surprise, she chuckled to herself, her features relaxing from her amusement in that accusation. "Trust me," she purred, stepping closer until she was about a foot in front of the man, almost as though she were trying to bait him, but he refused to give in and bite, "had I known of the consequences, I would not have been so rash in my extermination." Seeing that her attempts were of no use, she once again stepped away. "And, tell me, how many of you were aboard that ship?" she questioned, finger finding its way to her hair as it began to twirl a few strands.

Without missing a beat, the swordsman replied, "One...there was one other." Sanji's eyes widened at the blatant lie, but he said nothing. Whatever story the other was coming up with, he'd let him carry on with it if he knew what he was doing; and, he really prayed that he did.

She scanned the both of them up and down as he spoke, searching for any signs of distrust. The blond one was hard to read, his face nearly a constant mask of pain. The other, he appeared confident enough, his eyes remained on her and his breathing remained consistent. Even so, she took what was said lightly and never let go of her skepticism. "Very well," she muttered, mostly to herself. "I have no further use for the two for you. Take them back to their holdings, I have no further use for them for the time being. In the meantime, I'll think of a proper way to deal with this."

"Yes, Chief Tonitrua: Mother of Storms," one of the men next to Zoro bowed in respect. Zoro almost lost his balance with the force of the next yank. "You heard 'er!" he practically spat, giving him no time to recover as he forcefully hauled him along. He was having a hard enough time not losing his balance, he could only imagine the trouble the blond was having with this. One quick glance in his direction confirmed his suspicions. They completely disregarded his struggles and hisses of agony.

The tedious journey back to their cage was much the same as the earlier one; they received off-putting stares, mumbles of discontent, and the rough handling that sent currents of anger through the swordsman. By the time they made it back, both were unceremoniously thrust to the ground as they let out matching grunts. The resounding and sentencing 'click' sounded out.

"Son of a bitch," Zoro ground out, on the bars the moment they were closed, hands gripped tightly around them with his eyes dead set on the retrieving backs of their captors. "Can you believe the nerves of these people?" he questioned rhetorically, but glanced over his shoulder anyway with the lack of a response.

He watched as the cook turned over to his side, his features still twisted and hands reaching down for his leg. "Dammit," he muttered, on the verge of being inaudible. "Would it...kill them to be...a bit more...gentle?" he ground out, finally cracking an eye open, only to see a worried expression staring back at him. "What?" he asked, with a tad more strength.

"Nothing," the other replied, sauntering to a place next to the bars and dropping down to lean against them.

Sanji merely scoffed, dragging himself next to them as well to do that same. "About what was said in there," he started, words still missing their usual lift, "What was that...all about? All that making shit up...I mean," he asked, tossing his head back to rest it against the cold metal, eyes drifting to watch the sky.

"I have no doubt they're still alive," he announced, cutting his attention over so the other could see the honesty in his face. "But, she doesn't need to know that, nor how many of us there are. If they find this place, it will make it that much easier for them to have the upper hand, don't ya think?"

"Huh," the cook chuckled, "for once, you're actually making sense." Zoro gave a small laugh back as well. It wasn't exactly the reaction he was expecting, but, that was probably the closest thing to a compliment the man had ever given him, so he accepted it. "If that's the case," he added, letting out a sigh and relaxing a bit more, "I suppose that gives us the chance to sit back and wait for them to save us, right?" He sagged a bit more against their confines and again closed his eyes. His right hand unconsciously rested on his thigh, fingers furling and unfurling with the throbs of fire.

The other simply hummed his agreement as Sanji made himself as comfortable as he could; if he were being honest, the way he was so easily residing in him as well as the others didn't sit well with him. All that normal fight was just gone, sapped away with the fever that was progressively getting worse. If he was wrong about the others, then he'd have no choice but to bust the two of them out of there himself, and he had no idea how the hell he was going to pull that off if it came down to it.


	6. Running Out of Time

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting**

 **So, I actually have all the chapters for this finished and written up now. Because of this, I'm considering uploading a chapter a day until it's all out. I'm assuming no one will have any complaints. lol**

* * *

 **meladi1 : Ahhhh, why thank you. But, if I'm being honest, I'm not exactly proud of this fic, still feel as though it could be so much better. - Yeah, I also don't read back over my text, I cringe too much looking at it. ;w; But, I promise I know how to spell. lmao. You words are too kind though. And yesssss, I have to agree, I live for those types of fics too, and I'm kind of upset that there aren't more of those. Again, your review is very much appreciated, and I hope you aren't as disappointed as I am by the end of this. XD**

 **Guest : Of course, I try to respond as much as I can. ^-^**

 **And thank you so much, glad you're enjoying this so far. Not sure of their escape is anticlimactic or not, but I hope it's entertaining enough for what it is. lol**

* * *

 **Nami**

The two of them carried on in quiet anticipation. On one hand, the fact that there were inhabitants on this place could be a promising prospect. But, it could also very possibly go completely the opposite way. They were no stranger to unwelcoming natives, but it was even more dangerous when they were split up as they were. Though, you'd never be able to tell by the continuous happy-go-lucky attitude of their captain. Forever letting things roll off his back, no matter how dire they appeared. Nami couldn't complain though, sometimes that was the only thing that managed to keep their spirits up.

Luffy lead the way, making sure to keep them on the right path. Or, as close to the path as he could considering he was going off memory after so long. "It looked pretty far, so it could take a day...or two," he said aloud, almost muttering.

"That's fine, as long as we get there," the navigator assured. Besides, that would give her plenty of time to think about things, to gather her wits and play out multiple scenarios in her head. Like what if they were cannibals, or what if they hunted outsiders for sport. This could go any number of ways, none of which sounded too out of the ordinary after some of the stuff they'd been through.

Her hands clenched at her sides at the more morbid outcomes, and she could only hope she was wrong about those, If they were lucky, maybe it was a village of friendly folk who wanted nothing more than to help strangers in their time of need. The more she dwelled on the matter, the more that latter sounded ridiculous and highly unlikely. Chewing on her bottom lip, she shook her head, knowing that thinking about this was only making it worse; but, she had to be prepared for the worst if it came down to it.

"I wonder if the others are already there," the captain muttered, a slightly concerned undertone to his voice. The unexpectancy of that tone caught the other off guard, it wasn't something she was used to hearing from him. Maybe he was actually more worried about the rest of the crew than he let on. "They're probably all there, wondering where we are," he sighed, as if it was all completely true. But, Nami still smiled at the idea of it, the image of them giving them hell for taking so long was just too amusing to ignore.

"Either that or we're walking right to our doom," she teased, getting a lively chuckle from the other. "Hate to say it, but I really hope you're right about this one. For once, I'd rather be wrong," she breathed out, lowering gaze to linger on the ground as they carried on walking in relative silence.

They kept up their pace for a time, only slowing down when they came across an obstacle or two, but it was nothing that threw them off too much and was easily traversable. The farther they got though, the more uneasy the navigator became; she was becoming jumpy, jolting at the slightest rustle and movement. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but something about this place just rubbed her the wrong way. Like the island itself didn't want them there. A chill wracked her form as her arms wrapped around her torso with the shiver. "Do you feel that?" she asked after a moment.

"Feel what?" Luffy questioned, pausing to look over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised in bewilderment.

The other shrugged, unsure how to word it; it wasn't like it was a physical feeling after all. "Like the air is heavy in a way," she tried to explain. "It's weird, but it feels like the area is filled with hostility and just all around irritated." She knew that made no sense, but she had to hope he would understand it well enough. As she spoke, he nodded along, but didn't appear as though any of it was clicking.

"I'm sure it's fine," he replied, waving a dismissive hand. "I mean, we've never been here before, so I mean, it would make sense to feel weird here." He glanced around and held up a hand as if to feel the breeze. "It seems fine to me though. You alright?" he asked, genuinely curious about the redhead's well being.

Exhaling heavily, Namil shook her head. "I'm fine. And, it probably is that, I guess it's just a hunch then," she summed up, not that that was making it any better. "The sooner we find the others and get away from here, the better," she mumbled, picking up their pace again as she stepped past the captain, forcing him to quicken as well just to take the lead back. They were only walking for a few more minutes before they again were forced to slow down, a river flowed before them, effectively cutting them off from the other side.

They paused, both glanced up and down for a way across, knowing full well the currents were too powerful to risk wading. "Now what?" Luffy asked, crouching down in thought with a hand on his chin.

"I guess we have to find a way around," the woman breathed out in exasperation. This is just what they needed, something else to hinder them. This was getting ridiculous, and she was growing more and more frustrated by the minute. Was getting through this in peace really too much to ask for? "Come on, Luffy, there's nothing we can do here," she muttered, choosing to go to the left as she waved her hand for the other to follow.

She slowed their previous pace, wanting to take things a bit slower and keep a closer eye out for things. But, so far, it was the same old, a flowing stream that stretched as far as the eye could see. Just as she was about to voice her frustration, something rustled, something big. The hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, she froze on the spot as her gaze slowly and carefully drifted towards the source. Nami's hands were clenched, and out of the corner of her vision, she could make out Luffy also turning to face the sounds.

They grew louder by the second, drawing closer whatever it was and her hand instinctively reached for her weapon, the familiar touch of it serving to calm her nerves a bit. "H-Hello?" she called out, voice stuttering as her grip tightened; a bead of anxious sweat trailed down the side of her head as she prepared herself for what was about to come.

* * *

 **Ussop**

The three of them could only stand...dumbfounded at the news their doctor just relayed to them. The sharp-shooter swallowed thickly, for once, his tongue was tied as he, too, stared at the material, tainted in crimson. He looked from Chopper to Robin, both of them wearing the same expression: one of worry and fear. "This is bad," the reindeer muttered, dropping the fabric back on the ground, the mere sight of it was making his stomach churn. Despite being accustomed to this sort of stuff, there was just something about this in particular that had him on edge. Maybe it was the fact that he had no way of knowing the person's current state, or the fact that it was someone close to him in such dire danger.

"Whose do you think it is?" Robin asked after a few minutes, after her nerves had the chance to calm down and allow her to compose herself.

Chopper thought on it for a moment, bowed his head as his nose twitched a few time in an attempt to discern the scents. Raising his attention back up, he shrugged in disappointment. "It's hard to tell," he explained, "their smells are mixing together too much, all I can tell is they were both here and one of them is in serious trouble." His voice lowered as he spoke, as if it was really beginning to set in now.

Ussop's hands trembled slightly at his sides as he drew in a long and deep breath. "Guess we better go save them then," he sighed, willing his arms to fold over his chest. Despite his efforts to appear casual and brave, the unease was instantly spotted by the others. "I should have known, they wouldn't last a day out here without us; it's only been a day, and look at the trouble they've already gotten into."

The sniper's attempts at lightening the mood didn't go unrewarded. "They truly have a knack for getting into the worst of situations, don't they," the historian agreed, releasing a light chuckle.

The two of them immediately looked back to the doctor, who was once again sniffing at the air, concentrating on aroma's floating around. "I think I can track them," he announced, his nose wrinkling at the metallic scent. "It's pretty strong, so following it won't be a problem," his tone lit up, new found hope lifting his words. He didn't give a chance for anyone to reply before he was trailing after the wafts, keeping his face angled downward as he went. "They went this way," he announced, shuddering at the occasional droplet of red decorating the ground. Looking at them, it was obvious it was some time ago; they were dark, dry as they acquired a rusty appearance.

They followed after without question, remaining silent as they went as if speaking would somehow hinder the deer's concentration. Their steps were light and their hearts fluttered with anticipation. None of them knew what they'd come across, they were deep down and genuinely fearful of the possibilities. But, considering they were well enough to walk around did leave them with a degree of hope.

Chopper went on, never looking up from the invisible path he was taking them down; though, every now and then, he would raise his attention to glance around, searching for any visible sign of their crew member's presence. Yet, every time ended in nothing, forcing him to keep going, causing his concern to swell with each passing minute. "Where are you guys?" he muttered to himself, low enough to be missed by the others. His brows furrowed with his dwindling morale, but he had to push on.

"How could they get so far," Ussop breathed out, his voice relaying how worn out he was getting from all the seemingly endless walking. He was already back to his hunched over posture, not even trying to hide his frustration at this point. "And, how big even is this place, it never ends."

Robin smiled in amusement and glanced back at the sniper. "We haven't been looking that long, you know," she reminded, strolling on. "Have patience, we're on the right path now, and at least we know they made it out of the crash. Now, it's only a matter of time before we find them."

The other grumbled something under his breath, but he felt inclined to nod along. "Yeah, yeah, I know," he sighed, leaning forward more. "I can't help it, seeing the worst in things is my specialty."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," she replied. "In fact, it can be pretty useful, at least you'll be prepared for anything." It wasn't much, but whatever it took to get his spirits back up. As she opened her mouth to add more, Chopper perked up, the sudden movement catching both of them off guard as a jolt ran through them. "What is it?" she asked, her tone shifting completely with the atmosphere brought on.

He said nothing, merely stared off in another direction, and he stayed low as he veered to the side. Noticing his serious demeanor, they, too, crouched lower, biting their lips in anticipation. Then, they heard what had the doctor's attention...there was walking nearby, they weren't alone out here. After a few seconds of sneaking closer, they stopped as well, clearly becoming aware of their presence.

Holding their breath, they exchanged a look and all nodded, preparing themselves for an attack if it came down to it. But, just as suddenly, Chopper turned to them, his eyes alight with familiarity and relief as a smile slipped into his features.

"Nami! Luf-!" he cried, springing up in joy, only to get cut off as the navigator's staff stopped mere inches from the top of his head. He froze on the spot, all color draining from him and a small stunned noise croaked from his throat. Eyes wide, he held both hands up in surrender and took an instinctive step back.

"C-Chopper?" the redhead stuttered, taken aback. "What...how...how did you find us? Where did you come from?" she asked, one question filtering out after another when she couldn't decide which was more important. "Where are the others?" She couldn't stop them coming, overwhelming the small creature with non-stop inquiries that he had time to answer before the next was asked.

This time, it was Ussop who spoke up first, jumping to his feet, earning a surprised yelp from the navigator. "Zoro and Sanji, you guys haven't seen them either?" he asked, ignoring all of her previous ones. She slowly shook her head, a quizzical expression on her face. He glanced to his captain as well, who wore a similar mask, one eyebrow raised.

"What do you think we're doing way out here?" Luffy gestured to the forest around them. "We're looking for you guys, and there's a village of some sort that way, and we thought you guys might be there, but this is even better." He rambled on, trying to get all he knew out in the open at once, but he was cut off by their doctor, who held more important information as far as he was concerned.

He took a deep breath, and all the tension was back in his muscles. "The other two...one of them is hurt, and I think they're sick too," he announced, physically sensing the shift in air around them. "W-We found a cave back there...and it...it had Zoro's bandana...covered in blood," he finally got out, voice tight as he tried his damnedest to keep his emotions in check. Last thing they needed was the medical expert to be breaking down from fear and worry. "I was just following their scent," he glanced in the direction Luffy said the village to be, "and...it leads that way."

* * *

 **Zoro**

Already, nearly half the day was behind them, and not a single opportunity for escape had presented itself. Though, he may have been a bit impatient in thinking it wouldn't have been taking this long, but he was already beginning to feel the grasps of desperations clawing at him. He sighed deeply for what he knew had to be at least the fiftieth time since they'd been brought back to their cage, but it was the only way he could let out steam in such a confinement. "Think of a way out yet?" he asked, turning his head to the side to peer at the blond, who in turn only shrugged with one shoulder.

"Not unless you know how to break through iron," he commented, rather smugly at that. He cracked his one visible and bleary eye open to glare at the swordsman, exhaustion etched into his features. "Why don't you jus' give it a rest. As long as we're locked in here, there ain't a thing we can do," he breathed out, voice faint as he took a deep breath as well.

"Didn't think you were one for givin' up," Zoro snorted, intentionally trying to push his buttons, forcing some sort of fire back into him. But, for once, it was doing nothing.

Sanji just turned away from him, the simple action taking more energy than it should have as he muttered to himself. "No point in...wasting the effort when it won't do any good." He cleared his throat, which quickly spiraled into a minor fit of coughing, wracking his form until he was left panting for breath. "Sonovabitch," he swore, trying to catch his breath. His voice was hoarse, dry.

Without warning, Zoro reached around and pressed his hand against the other man's forehead, barely getting a complaint out of him this time, which was concerning in and of itself. He hissed as he drew his touch back away; the fever had only gotten worse, increasing in temperature in such a short amount of time. "I think I should check on your leg again," he muttered, waiting for a response.

"Why, can't...do anything about it," the chef responded, truthfully as he turned back with his back against the bars. And, now that Zoro really paid attention, his face was ghostly pale, only making his cheeks appear all the more flushed, and a light and clear sheen covered it all. His jaw was hung barely open to take in labored breaths. He didn't even try to hide his discomfort anymore, either that, or it became too much to cover up.

Gritting his teeth, the green-haired man didn't need permission before he slid closer anyway, hand reaching down for the other's pants leg. "I'm looking anyway, it's getting worse," he said, making his word final. Still, the blond did nothing to stop him. There was no hesitation as he revealed the wound once more to himself, his chest constricting with the sight. How did it manage to get so much worse so quickly?"

He didn't look at it long and swiftly covered it back up. "So?" Sanji asked, "How bad now?" His gaze drifted down, trying to catch a glimpse, but losing the slight window of opportunity as it was hidden from view.

Zoro couldn't speak for a moment, didn't know how honest he should be. If they didn't get out of here quickly, or get some medical attention as soon as possible, he feared the possibility of him losing that leg.


	7. Risky Choices

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting**

* * *

 **Guest: Nah, I would say it was anything but. lol XD I have no doubt there would be, I just really hope this whole story isn't as big a letdown as I feel it will be :'D**

* * *

 **Nami**

"Hurt?" Nami asked, almost like everything else was completely missed by the navigator. "H-How bad is it!?" she stammered, voice demanding the small companion for answers. Chopper's arms raised in defense as he took a step back from the looming woman. Her hands were held against her chest, worry clearly seeping from every fiber of her being.

Stuttering for a couple of seconds, the reindeer finally worked up enough courage to speak coherently. "I...I don't know," he replied, honestly. "But, there was a lot of blood, and enough to leave a trail," he explained. Then he swallowed thickly, nervous about revealing the worst part in this. "And, when I mentioned the sick thing...I, uh, I think infection has set in, I could smell it." His voice was low, tone slightly trembling in concern and fear.

Nami let out a heavy breath, not sure what to say anymore. Still, she straightened up, holding that breath in order to calm herself down a little bit and collect her thoughts before they had the chance to scramble further. Without another word, she spun on the spot and began heading in their previous direction. Her pace hastened drastically from its earlier speed as worry motivated her. "We don't have any time to lose," she called over her shoulder when the others didn't follow immediately.

"She's right," their captain agreed, striding after her and quickly closing the gap. "Come on, let's go get the others back," he beamed, a cheerful and enthusiastic spring in his step. However, glancing over, the redhead saw straight through that outward appearance; there was that minor and almost transparent hint of doubt in his eyes. Still, he tried to hide it from the rest of them, keeping up a strong front for their sake.

Ussop's limbs shuddered, anticipating the possibilities of traversing even farther into unknown territory. But, with the others already walking ahead of him, leaving him behind, he had no choice but to follow suit. Chuckling nervously to himself and squaring his shoulders, he forced his legs to move.

The historian grinned in amusement to herself, casting frequent glances behind her as the sharpshooter stumbled around, his gaze darting around for potential danger. "Expecting something to jump out and eat you?" she questioned, laughing softly at the glare that earned her.

"Well, someone has to keep an eye out. You know how often people are attacked from behind?" he asked, his feigned confidence building back up. "Exactly, a lot. You all can thank me later. Thanks to me, there will be no need to worry about that kind of stuff." He slammed a fist against his chest in a show of toughness, but the subtle shake through the appendage told a completely different story.

The dark-haired woman hummed at that. "Then, we're lucky to have you," she sighed, playing along.

The rest of the small group remained silent, too concentrated on making sure they didn't deviate too much in their search for a way around their obstacle. There had to be a way around, if the others got to the other side, then there was definitely one. If it weren't so wide, and if the currents weren't so violent, it would have been no issue to just wade across. Then, Luffy slowed down, his gaze lighting up with new hope.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, bounding forward a second later.

"Luffy, what are yo-" Nami began, cutting herself off once she spotted whatever it was he was going off about. "That might actually work," she muttered, trailing after him a few yards ahead. The both of them stopped just short of a precariously leaning tree. Their captain wasted not a second before climbing his way up. "Please be careful up there," the navigator called after him, her lips pressed firmly together in anticipation.

All he did was glance down with a smile on his face and a quick thumbs up. Taking a deep breath, he drew one arm back. In the next second, he sent the limb flying forward where it wrapped around a sturdier tree on the other side. With a small noise of satisfaction, he began to pull. His perch groaned and complained under the strain as snaps started sounding out. The others flinched and cringed with each complain, their hearts thrumming painfully in their chests as the prayed this went smoothly.

"Almost," Luffy grit out between teeth as he gave it one last pull, the wood finally gave way under the high stress, snapping and falling forward. The captain had no time to react before the sudden shift in position and resistance faltered under him. His cheerful and proud moment was instantly whisked away when he was yanked froward, his hold on the broken tree being ripped away. There was only time to let out a startled yelp before he was launched forward.

Nami was the first to move. "Luffy!" she cried out, already running forward and hopping on the new makeshift bridge. Lucky for her, it was sturdy enough to not budge under her bounds. "Are you alright?" she asked when she reached the other side, still running after the other.

Her captain was back on his feet in an instant, one hand gently caressing his head as a couple groans of discomfort slipped out. "Not as smooth as I would have liked…" he grumbled, turning to face the rest of the crew with a slightly embarrassed grin tugging at his mouth. "But, at least it worked," he shrugged off, watching as the rest crossed without issue.

"Well, at least this is faster," Robin commented hopping onto the other side with ease and grace. "There was no telling how long it would have taken if we continued searching for a natural way across." She glanced back down the river as she spoke, spotting no other way in sight as far as she could tell.

Surprisingly, it was Chopper that rushed ahead this time. "We need to keep going," he said, prancing along, "the scent is getting stronger, we're getting closer. His excitement and fear could easily be picked out of his tone as he went on. He kept his head low, never once allowing it to the trail to drift from him. Without noticing it, his own pace quickened. But, as long as he could still hear the others close behind, he'd continue to move faster; they were so close now, so close to having all of them back together,.

* * *

 **Zoro**

"Dammit!" the swordsman swore loudly, slamming the side of his fist against the bars in his growing frustrations. He's been at it for at least an hour now, pacing around, searching for any sort of weak point in the cage. But, of course, he came up empty handed; his steps were getting heavier, and he was struggling more and more to hide his emotions.

The chef cut his eyes over with a furrowed brow "Hey, shit for brains," he addressed, instantly earning the other man's attention, "you tryna...wake the whole damn island?" His tone was surprisingly light, all the intended insult taken away from the remark. Taking a deep breath, he shuffled to sit up more, then one hand trailed up one of the bars to grip it tightly as he began to heft himself up.

"What're you doing?" Zoro asked, noticing how Sanji put zero weight on his bad leg, keeping it hovering about an inch off the ground.

Catching his breath and leaning heavily against his support, the blond scoffed under his breath. "What's it look like?" he snapped, straightening up the best he could. "You're...clearly making no...progress," he replied between pants, smirking in the green-haired man's direction. "Imma...see what I can find."

"No, you're not," Zoro instantly replied, leaving no room for arguments. "What you need to do is take it easy until we get out of here, got it?" Why did saying that taste so wrong rolling off his tongue. He wasn't supposed to care how the cook was fairing, he wasn't his responsibility after all. "Just...don't over do it," he added, turning his back to the other to continue his fruitless looking.

The chef raised his eyebrow, but brushed it off. "Yeah, yeah, as long as I can still stand, don't go worrying about a damn thing," he muttered, right hand already clutching at his right thigh, seeking out to alleviate the throbbing pain. "It's obvious we can't get out of here from this side," he mumbled, afraid to talk louder and causing another coughing fit.

"Well, we can't get out from the outside, now can we?" Zoro rolled his eyes. Seriously, that fever must have been scrambling his brains already.

"I'm not talking about us, ya dumbass," Sanji returned the gesture. "All we gotta do...is get someone else...to open it," he explained as if it was the most simple thing in the world. He glanced around, making sure there were no prying eyes or nosy onlookers before he continued. "Most of these guys don't seem like the brightest," he went on, "pretty sure it wouldn't take much to convince...them," he practically slurred, voice growing more distant. He cleared his throat as he leaned further against the bars, breaths quickening.

Sighing, the swordsman's shoulders relaxed just a bit. Slowly, he gazed behind him, a flash of concern crossing him at the sight of the other. His gaze was downcast, unfocused. "Hey," he called out, voice quite a few degrees softer than it was just a moment before. No response, only the heaving of the man's shoulders as he drew in labored breaths.

Nerves on end, and pulse racing, Zoro stepped forward, hand outstretched. And, just as he got within a few inches, the blond wavered on his feet, eliciting him to not hesitate and grab hold of the other before he had the chance to hit the ground. Even in this position, Sanji draped over one of his arms as he half kneeled, he could make out the currents of heat radiating from his trembling form. "Hey, shithead," he muttered, giving the limp body a couple of solid shakes. "You with me?" he questioned, lowering the man back to the ground.

Swiftly, Zoro rolled him over to his back just as his eye fluttered open, a layer of glossiness shone over the blue orb. "What the hell was that!?" the swordsman asked, his fear getting the better of him, and the question came out much harsher than he intended.

Sanji didn't reply right away, it was like he was still struggling to wake up and realize where he even was. "See? I told you not to overdo it," he chastised, unsure of his lecture was heard or not. "Do that again, and I'm letting you hit the ground, maybe a concussion will knock some sense into you," he rambled, releasing his hold on the man and allowing him to relax against the ground. "This time, stay down, I can take care of getting out from here," he assured, pushing himself back up to his feet. However, his concerned gaze stayed on the blond for a few seconds more, watching as his chest rose and fell unrhythmically.

The cook watched through a bleary curtain as the other stood, but he lacked the energy to do anything about it. All he could do was mutter a soft, "whatever," and focus on calming his breathing before he ended up passing out again. He swallowed thickly when nausea threatened him and the world around him spun dangerously, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut. It was like it all hit him at once...before he stood up, he felt relatively alright. But, the moment he was upright like that.

He breathed out slowly as a chill ran over him, dragging a shudder out of him. Was it him, or was it unbelievably cold now? Letting out a soft whimper, he propped himself up on one arm, the action not going unnoticed by the other man.

"I thought I told you to stay down," he sighed out in exasperation.

Gritting his teeth, Sanji merely pulled himself closer to the bars to lean against them, but he didn't attempt getting up this time. "Oh...shut up...will ya?" he waved a weak hand. "Freezin' my ass off down here...ground is cold," he huffed out, folding his arms over his chest.

The pallidness of his features caused Zoro's chest to clench. And, he wasn't sure what came over him, but he immediately strolled back over to the bars, hands gripping two of them "Hey!" he yelled, calling out to anyone as loudly as he was able. "Ya cowards! Why keep us locked up like this!? Are you really that afraid of us!?" he accused, hoping to get some sort of rile out of at least one of them, anyone that may have been listening. He kept this up, continuing his taunting until, finally, footsteps and shouts echoed back.

That one man, the larger one from earlier, approached, blade swishing at his side as he impatiently sauntered closer. His brows were furrowed in frustration, and the swordsman knew he at least pushed a few buttons, and he couldn't stop the amused grin that slipped onto his face.

"What's the big idea?" the native questions, fingers twitching over the hilt. "Over 'ere causing a ruckus, throwing yer little tantrum," he seether, stepping uncomfortably close to the bars. His eyes flickered from one to the other before finally settling on Zoro.

Taking a deep breath, the swordsman stepped back about a foot. "Do you intend on letting us die in here?" he asked, keeping his voice low and intimidating. "Because that's what's gonna happen if you leave us in here," he informed, never breaking eye contact. "What will your leader think if you let that happen? I doubt she'd be too happy about that," he finished, watching as a flicker of fear crossed the man's face.

His gaze wandered back to the blond, and he licked his lips in apprehension as he took in his appearance for the first time. Surprisingly, their captor paled marginally at the insinuation. "I can take him to our healers," he offered, "just to look 'im over, then he's coming right back in here," he explained. "Whatever gets ya to shut the 'ell up," he huffed out, the jingle of keys sounding out the promise of freedom. "Step back!" he snapped, glaring at Zoro until he complied.

Scoffing, he shuffled back until he was in the corner as the cage was unlocked. And, the other never let his gaze wonder as he inched his way towards his comrade. Zoro's eyes flickered to Sanji for a split second, and he sluggishly met that stare. As if reading the man's thoughts, the blond then turned towards the enemy. He took a deep breath, trying to gather what little strength he had left. Then, with his good leg, he swept if forward, catching the man in the back of the ankle just enough to cause him to stumble. Though he didn't fall, it was enough of a falter for the other to take the opportunity.

Zoro grit his teeth and charged forward, his hand immediately reaching out for the blade. The attempt was there to stop him, but it wasn't quite fast enough, and before the downed man could right himself, he froze as the glint of a point was aimed at his throat. The swordsman had his free hand outstretched. "Keys," he demanded, pure hatred lacing the single word.

The other swallowed thickly, muttering something incoherent under his breath as he refused to move. But, he had a change of heart when the tip of the weapon was pressed firmly against his neck, a spec of blood blossoming under its threat. "If you even think of calling for backup, I'll end you right here," Zoro promised, not a hint of doubt in his voice or in his expression.

Soon after, the weight of a few keys dropped into his palm and he curled his fingers around the metal. "Sanji, think you can stand?" he asked, the guilt instantly tugging at him for having to ask such a thing. After what happened just a few minutes ago, he knew even that was asking a lot.

"What do I look like?" the cook replied, wasting no time in giving it a go. His leg trembled with the effort, and it only took a second for him to become light-headed and in need of grabbing onto the bars.

"Just wait for me outside," Zoro instructed, not missing the roll of the other's eyes as he slowly and agonizingly made his way out. He took the 'outside' part quite literally, not taking a single step farther once he was on the other side. That little bit was enough to take it out of him. Turning back to the enemy below him, he narrowed his eyes and drew the blade back, the tip of it staying aimed on him. Without hesitation, he brought the weapon down. The other winced and squeezed his eyes shut as he waited for the pain to come; his heart raced, pounding against his ribs.

But, in never came, and he fluttered his eyes back open to find the sword embedded in the ground less than an inch from his head. He didn't get a chance to react as the creak of whines of metal swinging shut caught his ears. "W-What are you doing?" he demanded, up and at the bars the moment they 'clicked' to a lock. "You sonuvabitch!" he called after them, his arm shooting between the bars to try and grab at one of them, but they were just out of reach, his fingers just almost able to brush them.

"Ready to get the hell out of here?" Zoro asked, glancing over to the blond.

Between pants, Sanji looked to the other and slowly nodded. "Yeah," he uttered, out of breath as he went to straighten up. And, just as before, he wavered on the spot, on the verge of losing his balance again. However, this time it was expected, and instantly there was an arm wrapped around his shoulders, another looping under his legs as he was scooped up. The chef let out a pained whimper as his wound was jostled, his teeth grit to keep from crying out.

"W-What the hell are you doing?" he asked. If it weren't for his already tinted cheeks, the blushing from the humiliation would have been painfully obvious. "Dammit, p-put me...dow-"

"Oh shut it already, would ya, you're giving me a headache," Zoro cut him off, adjusting his hold to make sure there would be no slipping. "If I let you walk, we'll never get out of here before the rest realize we're gone. So, for once, keep quiet and enjoy the view," he huffed, taking off towards the forest. With each step, the man in his hold gasped and hissed, and soon enough, he actually had a tight hold on him, his face instinctively buried in his shoulder. If this were under different circumstances, he might have teased him for this later. But, the heat against him…

As he ran, he thought about it more and more. Out here, there would be no helping him. Sure, he could rinse the wound with river water and bind it, doing what little he could. But, he needed more than that, he needed real medical care, medicine, antibiotics, not what meager first aid he was capable of. Maybe this was a mistake, perhaps he should have let them take a look at him before he tried this stunt. Though, there was no going back now. He was sure if they ended up back there now, there would be no helping him; more than likely, they would be killed, seen as nothing but a threat. He grit his teeth as all this dawned on him. He possibly just sealed the chef's fate, all in that split decision of his.


	8. Finally Done

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting**

 **Well, here ya'll go, here's the rest of it. I originally picked this story back up after seeing it again, and feeling bad that I had just abandoned it. And, I honestly thought it would be fun to pick it back up and revisit and give it another go. And, at first, it was hella fun and I was having a great time. But, part way through, I started to lose that motivation, and then it became quite clear that it just wasn't that enjoyed. Plus, I was and currently am working on two other things. That alone was stressful, and this on top of it just made it worse, especially when I wasn't having fun with it anymore. And, when the feedback you get is nonexistent or a little insulting, well, it makes people really not give a shit anymore.**

 **So, here it is, for those of you that were enjoying it, I'm so sorry, I really wanted to give something nice for you all, and I really did appreciate the supportive and constructive criticism. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, and I hope some of my other works will be of interest to those of you fancy them. 3**

* * *

 **Guest : I have no idea what you mean when Nami was stuck there to be honest. I guess you're referring to something in the show, but in this she was never stuck anywhere. And, I don't know how to reply, other than sorry this can't be more satisfying. I tried.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER: 8**

 **Zoro**

One step in front of the other, he kept repeating the process in his head to make sure he didn't stumble, to make sure there were no mishaps as he went. He had one thing on his mind and one things only. Getting the both of them out of here with as little damage as possible. Though, looking down at the man in his arms, he feared it was already too late for that. Almost immediately, the blond had ceased his complaints, given into the persistence of the other and allowed himself to be hauled as he were. Every now and then, the chef flinched or groaned as he tried to bury himself further against the other. And, Zoro knew, had he been in his normal state of mind, he would not have been caught dead doing such things, especially not with him.

"As soon as we get some distance, we can take a break," he promised, fully aware that all this running had to have been jarring and painful for the other, but there was no helping it. He had to put him through this temporary hell for his own well-being. "Just a little bit longer," he lied. He'd continue going until he was sure they were far enough away, no matter how far that was.

Sanji hissed between clenched teeth as the running got a little more intense, his breath hot and quick against the other. "T-Think Frankie...realized something is...up yet?" he asked after a moment, needing a distraction, anything to take his mind off the flaming agony.

That was right, he was still working on repairs on the Sunny while they went ahead...there still was a way out of this mess. With all that was going on, it kind of slipped his mind, and his chest eased just a little at the remembrance of that. "If he hasn't by now, then he probably will soon enough. It's been what, two days? Three, since we left? Something that was only supposed to take a day or two at the most. Yeah, I'm sure he's noticed something by now," he agreed, unable to stop the satisfied smile from slipping onto his features.

"Whatever he's...doing, he needs'a hurry the...hell up," the cook ground out, instantly clamping his mouth shut again to keep a pained whimper from escaping. "Been here...long enough as it...dammit!" The swordsman couldn't tell if that last swear was from his impatience or discomfort. But, whichever it was, it was emphasized as he squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face away once again.

"Before that...we need to find the others," he replied, mostly to himself as his expression tightened. More importantly, they needed to find chopper more so than the others...if they were even here. But, where else could they be? He held on securely and quickened his pace, no longer keeping the cook's comfort into consideration, that could wait. "Where the hell are you gu-" he started to ask silently, but his foot caught onto something, effectively cutting him off as he lurched forward from the momentum.

"Shit!" he blurted out, finding only enough time to be able to twist his body in order to take the brunt of the fall. However, it wasn't quite enough, and before he could stop either one of them, they were rolling, rather swiftly down a hill, a hill that must have been hidden from view thanks to all the foliage. In the background, the hisses and groans didn't go unnoticed as the other man was tossed from his grasp. Gritting his teeth, Zoro reached out for the first thing he could find to grab onto and held on for dear life, and almost instantly, he came to a sudden stop. He hardly took a moment to catch his breath and gather his wits before he was searching for his crew mate.

"Sanji!" he cried out, instantly spotting the blond a few yards away, barely moving. "Son of a…" he muttered scrambling to his feet and nearly tripping again in his haste to get to the other man's side. "Hey, you alright," he asked without hesitation, dropping to his knees next to him.

For a moment, there was no response, but form the uneven rise and fall of his chest and the occasional whimper, it's clear that he's still conscious at the very least. "Hey, talk to me, would ya?" he asked, trying as he might to mask his growing worry.

"Shuddup," the other groaned, his eyes still closed. Now that Zoro really paid attention, the blond appeared a few shades paler, his breathing quickening up as a sheen of sweat covered his brow. Concerned, he went to help him sit up, but the green-haired man was immediately shoved away without hesitation as the chef tried to crawl a few feet away.

"What the hell are you doin-?" Zoro tried to ask, but his question was answered before he could ask it when the foul sounds of retching reached his ears. "Oh," he added, softly. Even so, and despite the awkwardness of it all, he inched closer and assisted the other in not falling over on the spot, supporting him as his body convulsed. "Let it all out," he muttered, not used to this whole bedside manner thing, but he had to try.

After about twenty seconds of this, the only thing that wracked the smaller man's body were slight tremors from his exhaustion. "I...I'm fine now," he assured, giving a weak thumbs up. But, looking to his face, he appeared anything but. Fresh sweat trickled down the sides of his face and his features were absolutely ashen by now. "I jus...jus need'ta…" he let out a shuddering breath, lacking the energy to finish that sentence. And, in the next second, he was listing to the side, barely giving Zoro enough time to catch him.

"Yeah...fine," he scoffed, gently lifting the blond back into his arms. His brow was knit in displeasure, a sign that this was not at all a restful slumber at all. He took a quick moment to check the other over. Just like all the other times, he knew it would do nothing but remind him how useless he was, and how there was nothing he could do, but he still felt obliged to do so. Taking a deep breath, he used his free hand to again expose the injury to take another look at it. At least Sanji was fortunate enough to be out for it this time. After his strong reactions last time, he could only imagine what it would have been like this time.

His breath caught in his throat as he glanced over the festering wound; and, to say it appeared terrible was an understatement. That fall didn't help either as fresh blood spilled over along with clear pus. And that smell, if he didn't have such a strong stomach… Shaking his head, he quickly covered it back up, desperately not wanting to have to view it for even longer.

"Let's get you out of here," he uttered, standing with the other in his hold with surprising ease and gentleness. Sanji's exhales continued to come out hectically, his lips parted as they huffed out and his head lolled to the side. He was completely out of it this time, so much more so than the other two times. During those, he would back up almost instantly, but now, there was no sign of him coming to anytime soon.

Glancing behind him, he cringed at noticing how far they had actually fallen, and it was a miracle that the wound reopening was the worse thing that happened. But, it was safe to say they were a good distance away now, and it probably wouldn't hurt to take things a little bit slower form here on out. If nothing else, he needed to do it for the cook's sake, there was no telling if he could take another tumble like that one.

This process was beginning to wear his motivation now...they just shouldn't seem to catch a break, no matter what. Yet, he couldn't give up. If it were just him, he would have sat down and taken a rest ages ago, but he didn't have that luxury this time around. Not when someone else depended on him pushing forward. "You better appreciate this, you piece of shit," he mumbled strolling on without another second of reluctance.

* * *

 **Nami**

Hope was finally starting to rise between the five of them as they drew closer, the scent trail grew stronger, and stronger...at an oddly fast rate. With the way Chopper sped up, all of them could only assume that he had picked up on a more potent trail. "They're close," he announced, unable to hide his swelling excitement. "Really close," he added, slightly changing course.

"How close?" Ussop asked instantly, ready for a break, but also equally ready to get the others back and make sure they were alright. Though, guess that second wish was already taken off the table the moment they found the bloodied bandanna. His own hands balled up at his sides.

Their doctor went on, assuming that all the others were still around him as he refused to slow down or wait on to make sure they were all keeping up. The smells were hitting like a truck now, and now there was a new one...a foul smell that came out of nowhere, and he instantly recognized it as vomit. "Not good," he mothed to himself, keeping that new information to himself to prevent the others from worrying even more.

"Zoro!" he called out without warning. "Sanji! Where are you guys?" he asked, desperation in his tone. "Guuuuuuys!" he cried out again, hooves raised around his mouth, stopping just for a moment as the last echoes of his cry dwindled away. And, as the last voice died away, he lowered his arms, his heart sinking at the lack of a response. But, as he went to take the next step, his ear twitched at the smallest hint of another voice. "D-Did you guys hear that?" he asked, eyes lit with new determination.

"Here what?" Nami asked, brow raised in confusion. Other than the deer's screams for the others and the normal sounds of wildlife, there was nothing.

"Heeeeeeeey!" The both of them turned to see Luffy now following the doctor's example, calling out without a word of warning in hopes of getting a reply or some sort of sign. "Sanji! Zoro!" He continued to call out, his voice louder and carrying much farther than their much smaller companions. He didn't stop either, not until Chopper raised a hand in silencing gesture. "What is it?" he questioned, hands still cupped in preparation for a another call if need be.

The doctor bounded forward, "They're really close now," he announced, and not a moment later, even the others caught the subtle reply in the distance. It sounded pretty far still, but with all the plant life and barriers between them, it was most likely due to the voice being muffled. They all followed closely, their relief and anticipation being the main thing that drove them forward. Just a few more minutes, and they would all be reunited, they would all be together and they could finally start thinking of a way to get out of this mess.

Chopper, now bound ahead of the others, only with his captain close behind, suddenly stopped in his tracks, his posture stiff with fear as the others soon caught up. "Something wrong?" Nami questioned upon finding him like that, but with a quick glance past him, it didn't take long for her own gaze to widen and her jaw to drop. "S...Sanji," she uttered. Her wavering gaze landed on the chef, held delicately, like he was so fragile, in the arms of the swordsman...unmoving. "W...What happened?" she asked, stumbling forward.

Saying nothing, Zoro looked straight to Chopper, ignoring all others as if they weren't even there. The shock of finding the others this soon hadn't even seemed to process yet. "He needs help," he said simply, skipping everything else, failing to mention anything they went through, brushing their findings off as if they were of no importance. "It's bad," he added, eyes drifting down to the man's leg, and the other immediately understood.

"Right," the doctor replied, "we need to find somewhere out of the elements. Anywhere to keep us sheltered," he explained before clapping his hooves together. "Of course!" he blurted. "The cave, the one you guys were in before, we can go back there."

"Wait..how did you?" Zoro asked, confused, he didn't remember telling him anything. But, the much smaller companion just pointed to his nose with a sly grin. Of course, how could he have let that slip his mind. And, Chopper even took it upon himself to start leading the way back while the trail was still fresh. "It shouldn't be too far, and we should be able to reach it within a couple hours," he assured with a glance back at the blond. "I...Is he alright enough to wait that long, you think?" he asked, willing to take care of things right here if not.

The swordsman deeply considered it for a moment before answering honestly. "I really have no idea, but like I said, it's pretty bad." He looked down at the distraught features as he spoke, the pale appearance of his skin causing the brightness of the flush to look more intense. "His fever is pretty high too, and it's only getting worse."

Chopper soaked that all in for a bit, then nodded. "Alright, place him down then," he instructed, slipping his bag off his back. There was no need to ask where the injury was, it would take a blind man not to see it.

"There are others here," Zoro informed the rest of them, cutting his eyes over his shoulder and in the direction of the village. "They aren't exactly welcoming either," he added, vehemence in his tone. "Their leader, she's the reason we crashed, by the way, she's the one that caused all this. That storm was supposed to kill us," he fumed, fist clenched and arm shaking from the force of it. Next, his hand drifted to his hip, the air that resided there causing his eyes to narrow again. "I have to go back," he muttered, not forgetting that his swords were still there, one in particular. They could have the others for all he cared, but that one could not be replaced.

As Chopper worked, the rest stood around, all aside from Zoro, who couldn't keep himself from constantly scanning around them. The reindeer carefully pulled all obstructions away from the wound, hissing as he finally got to see the full extent of it. And, the other was right, it wasn't pretty at all. "Alright, not to worry, this can be taken care of," he rambled nervously as he dug through his bag for his antiseptic.

Muttering a quick apology in advance under his breath, he poured a decent amount into the injury, and the reaction he received was both unexpected and extreme. The once unconscious chef was instantly writhing on the spot, immediately eliciting both Robin and Nami to forcefully keep him still before he could hurt himself further. The irony of this was missed by all of them in the moment, but deep down, they knew this would have been a dream come true had it been under less severe circumstances.

"I'm going as fast as I can," Chopper promised, guilt clawing at his insides for having to cause more pain, but it couldn't be helped.

Eventually, the blond managed to wear himself back out and soon went limp under their hold. But, they stayed where they were, ready to restrain him again if need be. "I can't stand seeing him like this," Nami muttered to herself. This was all too much to accept at once. They finally found the others again, it was supposed to be a happy moment, there was supposed to be celebrating, but no. The first thing they had to do was hold one of their own down while he was clearly in pain in order to save his life. It was far too much.

"He's strong," Robin reminded, offering the other a warm smile as she covered the other's trembling hand with her own. "I'm sure he'll come back from this no problem. Besides, he has our trusty doctor taking care of him now," she added, looking over to said comrade with a look of total trust.

Normally, he would have been over the moon at such a compliment, but he was barely aware of the flattery as he worked. He was too focused, too concentrated on getting this wound as clean as he could. The sooner he was able to finish this and get Sanji on the road to recovery, the better. He washed it out one more time just for assurance that it was as clean as he was going to get it, not wanting to miss any part of it.

Putting that bottle aside, he grabbed for the gauze and set himself to wrapping the leg, wanting to cover it up before there was a chance for anything else to enter. "There," he announced, swiping an arm over his brow. "I did all I could for now. The rest is up to him. And, as soon as he wakes up, I need to get him to take some medicine. But, as long as he's asleep, I won't be able to get him to take anything."

"He'll be fine though, right?" Nami asked, clearly worried.

Without giving the other a chance to answer, Luffy replied instead. "Of course he will, this is Sanji we're talking about. He's strong, I have no doubt he'll come back from this no problem. Besides, it would take a lot more than this to take him down."

"Right!" Chopper agreed, though there was still that inkling of doubt in the back of his head. It was true, mostly. But he didn't have all of his equipment with him, only enough for first aid. All of his better stuff was still on the ship in his room. He mentally slapped himself, why didn't he ever bring more with him. By now, he should know better than to bring the bare minimum when they go out like this. "He just needs to rest, and his body needs a chance to heal itself, and I'm sure he'll be fine."

"See?" Luffy beamed. "Everything will be fin-" he didn't get to finish that statement, being interrupted by what sounded like a horn...almost like a war horn. They all froze at the sound, and all their heads swiveled back towards the village. Whatever it was, it was dangerously close.

* * *

 **CHAPTER: 9**

 **Sanji**

Everything was so damn hot, and it was impossible to pinpoint the exact location it was originating from. He could have sworn it was bursting from every inch of his body. And darkness, it was everywhere, it encompassed him, plagung his mind and warping it of direction. If he could just pry his eyes open, but why was that so damn hard? No matter how hard he tried, the refused to budge. The last thing Sanji remembered...that was right, he was with Zoro, the damn idiot, and they fell.

Somehow, just the image of that bastard's face served in providing him with a few ounces of much needed energy, though, it still wasn't quite enough. Then he was sure something brushed against his forehead, and the touch was far too delicate to belong to a brute like the swordsman...it was like a woman's touch, and he found himself instinctively leaning into it, his body acting on its own.

"...anji?" his finger twitched at the mention of his name, the pain flaring up with it. And, damn did it hurt, almost enough to make him wanna return back to the abyss. "Sanji." That was definitely a lady calling his name, there was no mistaking it now, it was far too clear, the uplifting beauty of it lulling him closer into the arms of his angel. "Can you hear me?" she asked, the touch returning as it stroked a few strands of hair from his face. He was finally able to put a face with those miraculous tones.

He forced his eye open, the red strands acted like a beacon in his moments of darkness. "N-Nami?" he stuttered, the name rolling from his tongue in a croak, cracking as it warped that greeting.

The navigator sighed in relief at seeing the blue orb finally reveal itself. "Finally," she breathed out, her shoulders relaxing as she sat back. "How are you feeling?" she asked immediately after, never giving the blond enough time to fully come to his senses. Still, he pieced together what she was trying to say and answered with a pained moan and slight wince as everything started to come back at once.

Yet, to his surprise, it wasn't quite as bad as it had been. It was still there, for sure, but it was far more tolerable that it had been. As his eye searched around a little more, his bleary sight made out a few more figures, one of them was unmistakable. "Chop-" he went to say, throat instantly scraping and throwing him into a minor fit of coughing. "Sonuva…" he muttered, clenching his eyes shut again as he rode out the waves of agony.

"S-Sanji!" the doctor exclaimed, hooves flailing over the man's body uselessly until the episode was over. "Please, take it easy," he instructed. "You are still very sick, I could only clean and wrap the wound, but you need to take medicine now," he explained, already fishing around in his bag to fetch the capsules. "Think you can take these?"

The nausea in him told him 'no', but everything else screamed at him to say yes. After all, without it, that sick feeling was only bound to get worse and worse until something was done about it. "Y-Yeah," he muttered, sitting up with the help of Nami. Even with the assistance of another, it was a struggle.

"Try taking a few sips of water first," the reindeer suggested, wanting to make sure he could swallow alright without complications. Nodding, the blond took the offered water bottle and tilted it back, letting a few sips of water slide down. Until that moment, he hadn't realized just how thirsty he really was. He was surprised he could even speak earlier with how dry his mouth and throat were. Not to mention how refreshing the liquid was. Sure, it wasn't exactly cool anymore, but it still felt like heaven.

Before he could drink too much, Chopper was eager to stop him. "Not too much," he warned, practically snatching it away. "Alright, here, take these," he nearly ordered, procuring the medicine for the other to take. "This should help with the fever too."

"Right," the cook muttered, accepting the offered tablets, eyeing them for just a moment before tossing them both into his mouth at the same time, and quickly washed them down. Once that was taken care of, he was eased back down, giving him a chance to glance back around, and he saw no one else...just the two of them. "Zoro?" he questioned, gaze darting around in search of the man, but he was nowhere.

"He's with the others," Nami explained, something in her eyes tolling the alarm bells in the other's head. The others? So the others were here, and alright?

He looked between the two of them, finding them both to be wearing the same expression. "Well?" he questions. "Where are they?" he clarified when he didn't get an answer. "Where are the others?" he pressed, trying to sit up on his own. But a wince and a small pressure on his chest was enough to push him back into place on the ground.

"They went back," Nami spoke lowly.

"Back?" he repeated, gaze widening. "You don't mean…?" But, there was no need to go on, that was enough. Were they all freaking idiots? After they just got out of there, he wanted to go back, and others went with him? "W-What the hell...are they...thinking?" he wondered aloud between heavy pants. His heart was pounding, and he knew it was due more to his ailing body than it was his festering apprehension.

The others exchanged a questioning look before the navigator continued. "Yeah, they have Zoro's swords, he couldn't leave those behind," she filled in, knowing the chef would understand the need to retrieve them. And, of course, his demeanor softened. "But, there's four of them, and they have Luffy and Robin as well, so I think there is no need to worry about them," she added with a confident smile. Though, he knew her better than that, and he could see plainly the concern fighting in her eyes.

"And...you two let them go?" he asked breathlessly.

"You know once that man's set on something, there's no stopping him," Chopper sighed. And from the look on his face, he could gather that he must have done what he could to prevent it from happening. "But, like Nami, I believe they'll be fine," he added with a warm smile.

* * *

 **Zoro**

They were right outside the village, a few people could be seen strolling about, all of them looking to the ground intently. Zoro narrowed his gaze as he watched on, the expressions they bore, the pure rage and frustration adorning them. They were looking for him and Sanji...that much was obvious. "Stay low," he mumbled to the others, "I have no idea what any of them are capable of...none of them other than their leader. But, from what I can tell, there's nothing special about them."

"I-I'll stay back here, and, ya'know, provide backup if you need it," the sniper suggested, standing a few feet back, his legs shaking a decent amount. But, he gave them a half-confident thumbs up. "You guys got this!" he encouraged.

"I'll leave it in your hands," the swordsman played along, leaving him to it. Besides, if he went in there a nervous mess, he'd probably do nothing but get in the way. Yeah, it was probably better this way. "Though, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd much rather we avoid conflict altogether if we can help it," he whispered, eyes darting around for a way in that would draw the least amount of attention.

Robin did the same, only her gaze was more focused on the residents. He was right, they really didn't look like much, it probably wouldn't take much to fight them head on. Hell, she was probably more than certified to take on half of them single handedly. Though, if what she heard about their leader was anything to go by, then she was the one they wanted to avoid. And, as soon as any of them caught their presence, she would be the first to know. Unless,

"We need a diversion," she suggested, keeping her voice low. "Something just long enough to get their attention for us to sneak in and grab your weapons," she elaborated, in thought. "Luff-" she went to ask, cutting her eyes over, only to be greeted by empty space. "Luffy?" she asked, locating him an instant later...almost on the other side.

"What the hell is he doing!?" the swordsman questioned in shock, eyes wide. "Is he trying to get himsel-"

"HEY!" they heard their captain's booming voice, echoing over the village without restraint. "OVER HERE!" he went on, waving his hands like a mad man. "IF YOU WANT ME, COME AND GET ME!"

The other three could only stare...blankly with their jaws slightly hanging as they were stunned. "He is…" Ussop muttered. "He's trying to get us all killed," he said, dropping his head. This was it, this was the end. Who would've thought, that he, was doomed to perish in a place like this. He had so many dreams and fantasies about how he'd go out: saving his friends, freeing some poor souls, anything as heroic as though. But, never in a place like this, an island in the middle of nowhere where no one would find his body. He visibly paled at the idea of such things.

Zoro scoffed to himself as he witnessed the foolish behavior of his captain, but, he supposed it would do well enough. "Well, may as well take advantage of the situation," he muttered, finally moving forward, albeit slowly and cautiously. "You can stay back here if you want, I won't make you go any farther. This is my business, after all," the swordsman reminded, not wanting to make any one go against their will if they weren't feeling up to it.

Ussop only nodded, his hand unconsciously tightened around his weapon as he took a knee. This was alright, he would wait here, and if...if he was needed, he would at least have the element of surprise. He took a deep breath and swallowed thickly and nervously; he just prayed it wouldn't have to come to that.

The other man waved the historian along as they rounded towards the side of everything. Along the way, he tossed anxious glances towards Luffy, and the way so many of the others ran after him. Luckily, he doubted he'd have any trouble getting away if need be, he was fast enough, that was for sure. 'Just, don't get yourself caught,' he thought to himself before turning back to watch where he was going. The two of them moved carefully, their footfalls hardly making a sound as they went. So far, so good. Only issue was, he had no idea where they put his weapons. They could be anywhere, and his teeth ground at the frustration of that. They could be searching forever.

Still, his eyes kept drifting to the main structure, the one that had their chief in it. He couldn't quite shake the feeling that if there were here, that was the most likely place they would be. There was probably no way to get them without being noticed then. But, Zoro looked back to Robin, his gaze narrowing. Though, maybe there was a possibility.

Before they could take another step, he halted in his tracks and gestured for her to do the same. "Wait," he uttered, crouching back down, eliciting her to follow suit. "I have an idea," he uttered, pulling in her interest with just that short statement. This was going to be interesting…

* * *

"Hmm," the historian hummed in thought, "It has its flaws, but it's the best we have, I suppose." It really wasn't the best, or impressive for that matter. But, if they really were where they thought, then there was nothing better. It was impossible to sneak in unnoticed. "I'm ready when you are," she offered him a small grin and a nod.

Returning the gesture, Zoro eased his way back into a standing position and scanned around. The coast was still clear. They already wasted a few minutes here, there was no more time to waste, they had to keep going, and fast.

"I'll go ahead and draw her attention," he informed, casting her one last look before taking off in his own direction. As he left her behind, he couldn't stop the whisperings of guilt from drifting through his mind. They were back in this place for his sake, none of them had to come along with him, yet, here they were. His fists clenched at his sides; and he swore, if any of them got themselves hurt because of this… He shook his head as he got closer to the main structure. To be honest, he was pretty surprised at the lack of people around. Either this was a small gathering of people, or Luffy did one hell of a job getting most of them out of there.

He pressed himself against the outside of the building...there was no more delaying this. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to round that corner. Finally, he took one step. "Look who decided to come back," the feminine and teasing voice slithered down his spine.

Out of instinct, he jumped back, managing to put a few feet between himself and Tonitrua, who was leaning against the wall next to where he just was. "Hey," he greeted once his heart calmed down. He knew he'd get noticed, but not this soon. "Hate to intrude, but I think ya got something of mine," he said, narrowing his gaze, watching her closely for any subtle movements. A twitch of her finger, and he naturally stepped back.

"Why so jumpy?" she chuckled, folding her arms. "You act like I could strike you down with just a wave of my hand," she muttered, raising her right to look it over. "Hate to let you down, but that's not quite how this works…" she mumbled to herself as shadows slowly surrounded them. Glancing up, Zoro watched as clouds drifted in, covering the sun until they were covered in vague darkness. A moment later, a drop of moisture struck his nose, followed by another, and then a few more.

He held out his palm as a few drops struck it. "What, a little rain?" he mocked, trying as he might to hide his unease. But, he kept reminding himself where they were, there was no way she'd bring out the big storms in the midst of her home. She may have been irrational, but even that was too far. At that thought, a smirk slipped onto his features. This was fine, all he had to do was keep her occupied long enough for Robin to do her own thing.

* * *

 **Robin**

She peered around as the conversation between Zoro and their leader picked up, and so far, her presence seemed to be unknown. Perfect. Carefully, she crept around the other side, taking one step at a time and placed each one with extreme care. She was so close, she just had to sneak around, a few more feet; she could see the entrance now, and if she was fast enough…

There was no thought put into her movements, she just darted for it while the woman had her back turned. And, shockingly, she was quick enough as to not alert anyone. But, the moment she was in, she was forced to hide behind the nearest thing she could, which happened to be a few crates, filled with who knew what. It didn't matter, she just thanked all the stars that they were there. She crouched down, hidden from view as a couple, rather large, figures strolled by. And, not a moment later, 'patters' could be heard striking the roof.

'Rain?' she thought to herself confused. It was bright just a moment ago. Of course, she couldn't believe she had almost forgotten, that was this woman's power...the power of storms and weather. She was actually getting serious about this. Either that, or it was an act of intimidation.

The moment the coast was clear she moved on, The thought that Zoro now had at least three people out there with him now serving to speed her up. From the looks of it, this structure wasn't too big, and was probably split up into only a few rooms at the most. If the swords were here, they'd have to be towards the back. So, as quietly as she could, and keeping close to the wall, she shimmied along, making sure not to let her guard down despite the fact that she was seemingly along in here.

So close, just a few more feet. Again, she froze on the spot, catching sight of another, but he wasn't moving. It didn't take much longer for her to realize he was guarding something, a room to be exact. Glancing just by him, she caught the twinkle of a blade, a rather familiar one at that.

That was it, it had to be. Staying right where she was, she concentrated as a single hand sprouted from the wall behind the blade and grabbed hold of the weapon. Once it was securely in the grip, another grew next to it, then another. It was a slow process, but this was something that couldn't be rushed. Slowly and tediously, the sword was passed from hand to hand, gradually handing it closer to herself. It was about halfway to her, and in the most precarious spot now...right next to the guard. Her lips tightened into a straight line and a bead of anxious sweat ticked down the side of her neck.

It was so close to the back of his leg, if she just took her ti- He shuffled back to reposition himself, the back of his leg brushing against the sword. This was it, the moment it made contact with him, he spun around to seek out the source.

* * *

 **CHAPTER: 10**

 **Robin**

She held her breath, swearing in her head as the sword bumped into the man's leg. There was no time to react, she couldn't back out of this before he could catch sight of her or her ability. She was left with only one option. Without giving him the opportunity to do anything about it, a few more hands shot from the ground and grabbed hold of his legs, then a couple more for his arms, and on more to cover his mouth to stop him from crying out.

"I apologize, but I can't let you interfere," she explained as she stepped closer. She watched as his eyes widened, but a moment later, they slid closed as her fingers jabbed against his neck. At that, all her hands dissipated, allowing his limp form to slump to the floor in a heap. She let out a relieved sigh; maybe she should have just taken that approach from the beginning, it would have saved her a bunch of time and trouble if she had. Oh well, there was no going back now. Brushing her hands together, she strolled over to his sword and picked it up, and glancing back, she was easily able to pinpoint his other two as well. All there was to do now, was to get these back to Zoro.

Robin held the katanas close and made her way towards the exit, no longer taking caution to the amount of noise she was making. The only one that was left in here was now on the floor unconscious, and everyone else was either after Luffy or aware of the swordsman by now. 'I'm coming,' she promised, using her free hand to shield her face when it was assaulted by wind and rain, striking her out of nowhere.

The historian peeked over the top of her arm, the sight of straining trees and cascades of water plummeting to the earth filling her vision. This was a lot more intense than she had anticipated. Where was he…

It didn't take long to locate the other four...Zoro, surrounded by the other three, the leader standing in front of him. From all the noise, she couldn't make out what was being said, but whatever it was, none of them were too keen on it. "Zoro!" she called out over the rain, afraid her voice was getting lost in the frenzy. But, to her surprise, he met her gaze, his eyes instantly looking to his weapons.

She had to get these over to him. But, it didn't look as though they were going to allow him the chance to slip by, not any time soon anyway. Her attention darted between the three of them as her heart pounded. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't have been a big deal, but when they were facing someone that could literally control the weather, there was no telling how things could go. Just as she took a deep breath, it caught in her chest, and she wasn't sure if she was seeing right, but there was no mistaking it as she watched one of the large men list to the side, an unmistakable mark marring the side of his head. She smiled to herself, knowing exactly what had happened, and she cast a knowing look towards the edge of the forest.

"Nice shot," she muttered to herself with a sly grin. Zoro took that moment to break through the remaining of the two as he darted in her direction. The second he was within range, the weapons were passed over, and it took only a fraction of a moment for him to get situated and prepare himself for a fight. Two of his swords in either hand and his third at his side.

This time, there was no catching him off guard. And without the risk of putting the chef into further harm, there was no holding back. His hands twitched with the anticipation of it; this was something they had coming. The memory and images of the way they had shoved the blond along when he was clearly suffering only fueled his impatience. He turned the blade over in his right hand, watching the others intently. The moment they moved, there was going to be no hesitation.

Then, to his horror and confusion, she didn't come towards him. Instead, she looked to the side...towards where Ussop was. "Hey!" he called out after her. "Don't turn your back on your opponent!" he warned, instantly pushing off with his left foot and charging towards her. Before he could reach his target, he was stopped in his tracks, another blade ground with his own, his teeth echoed the action. "The hell out of my way," he growled lowly, raising the blade in his other hand and brought it down without delay.

As it bit into the man's shoulder, it was now clear that these lot weren't very experienced when it came to fighting other people. Though, now that he thought about it, that made sense, being the only ones here, there wasn't much need to be. That was it, they really had nothing to worry about, other than her ability to control storms, they had nothing. Even that alone showed their cowardice; the need to take people out before they had the chance to get to them, it was the best chance they had, and even herhestitaiton to fight one on one backed that theory up.

"You know, we don't have to do this," he explained. "We never wanted to fight, trust me, we want to leave as much as you want us to. We can all put this behind us," he went on. "It's you two against us three, and we already took out one in the blink of an eye," he said, nodding to the guy still knocked out on the ground.

"Don't patronize me," Tonitrua warned, her tone dark as the wind picked up and the rain crashed down harder. "I don't need your ramblings. If you really didn't want to be here, then you and that half-dead companion of yours should have never wandered towards us; it was you guys that came into our territory."

"Like we would have if we knew how insane you lot were," Zoro scoffed, rolling his eyes. "We didn't even know this damn place was here!" he exclaimed, anger rising by the second. She was just so intent on pushing his buttons right now. He took an instinctive step forward.

As his heel dug into the softening dirt, ready to bolt the moment he needed to, something else entered his range of hearing...it sounded like screaming. His face instantly fell at the familiarity of the tone, and he felt every fiber of his being tense from the frustration of it. "Guuuuuys!" Luffy called out to them, his voice panicked as it drew closer. He didn't even need to look voer to know he was running back towards them; what the hell was he up to now? "We need to go!" he warned. And, now, the swordsman spared him a glance, his brows knitting in annoyance to see his captain still had the lot of them right behind him. After all that, he couldn't manage to shake them.

"Are you serious?" he muttered in annoyance. There was no time to ask questions; this is exactly the mess they wanted to avoid in the first place. It wouldn't have been any problem to take them out, but or some reason, the idea of that didn't sit right with him. Taking them out was almost the equivalent of taking candy from a baby. It was borderline bullying as far as he was concerned.

He turned to tell Robin as well, but she was already ahead of him, not wasting any time the moment she saw the crowd of people. He was right behind her, their captain a few yards behind now with the group still in pursuit. Even the storm was picking up, but with a glance back, he found that their leader hadn't taken another step as she watched them flee. They took off in the direction of their sniper, picking up their pace the closer they got. Once they were within a few yards of the other, he was on his feet as well, quick to read the situation and follow their example. Yet, surprisingly, he somehow managed to get to stay in front of all of them.

"W-What happened?" Usopp asked, voice trembling with fear and panic.

"Ask _your_ captain," Zoro grit out, shooting said man a glare. "It doesn't matter, point is, we got what we came for, now we need to get the others and get as far as we can. I have no doubt Franky realized we haven't come back yet, so he should go looking for us. If we're lucky, he'll see the wreckage or something. If not that, then we can just build a fire to get his attention," he blurted out, the words rolling out before he could stop any of them.

"Oh, is that all there is to it?" the sniper asked back.

"It is unless you know of anything better." Well, he couldn't argue with that; they had nothing else, no other way off this island. Their mechanic was their only hope at this point. And he was a capable guy when he had to, wouldn't let them down in a pinch. "We're counting on you," he muttered to himself, switching his concentration back to running and praying for the best.

* * *

 **Sanji**

"How long have they been gone?" the chef asked, lifting a hand to run down his face, damn, he still felt awful. But, at least whatever Chopper gave him seemed to help a little bit. Only issue was he was still insanely tired, even more so now. "It's been a while," he added, wincing as he tried to look around some more as if the rest of them would magically appear.

The small doctor was fast to put a stop to that. "Quit moving so much," he chastised. "I told you not to worry about them." Though, he had a point, it was taking longer than he had anticipated. "It shouldn't be too much longer," he muttered, casting a nervous glance out the cave. "Any way, there's nothing we can do until they get back anyway," he said, turning back. "We just have to wait here and believe they got it covered, right Nami?"

She was quick to agree. "Yeah, besides, it is pretty far off and all, so it would take some time to get there and back. Maybe a few hours at the least. Though, they have been gone for at least two...and we did split ways back there," she added quieter as she now started to really think it over. Sanji merely sighed heavily at that. It really didn't matter either way. With him the way he was, there was no way he could go to back them up. That also meant Chopper was stuck there too with his raging doctor pride tying the two of them together until he was better. And then there as Nami, there was no way he was ok with her going back there at all, let alone by herself.

"They need to hurry the hell up, this isn't a vacation," he muttered. "But no, that shithead had to go sightseeing some more." He grunted as he shifted a bit, lying on the stone surface like this was beginning to get extremely uncomfortable.

Nami let out a heavy breath as she looked the other over, he still looked terrible, but he was lucid now at least. Of course, there was no way she would ever let him know just how worried she was when she first saw him, on the verge of death pretty much, in Zoro's arms. Even he was concerned for his life, which was saying a lot.

When Chopper perked up, it caught them both off guard, both of them jolting when he perked up and tensed. "They're back!" he blurted out, hopping to his feet in excitement, pausing the moment he was up. "They're coming quick though," he added, a mask of seriousness sliding over his features. Were they running from something? He peeked out just as the four of then were within sight.

"Choppppeerrrrrr!" he heard Luffy shout out. "We need to get out of here!" he informed by the time he reached them, stopping to lean over and catch his breath. It wasn't until then that he looked behind him to see that the coast was clear. Maybe they lost them after all. Letting out a sigh of relief, he straightened back up and let out an amused laugh. "Oh, they're gone," he stated the obvious, all concern draining from him.

"Still, I think it's best we go," Zoro spoke up, his eyes instantly seeked out the cook, lying a few yards away, but finally away. "Finally decided to wake up, did ya?" he scoffed. Hiding his worry with an irritated over tone.

Sanji returned the mood. "Only because I smelled you coming back. That shitty scent can wake the dead." It's like just being near the man pumped some life and fight back into him as he sat up, much to the reindeer's disapproval, but he somehow managed from stubbornness alone. "And, that's all you had to say, I'm more than ready to haul it out of this hell hole," he ground out, trying to ride out another wave of pain, one which forced him to lie back down.

"Talking about getting out of here when you can't even get up," the swordsman shot back, this time voice lacking its usual bite. Without being asked, and with more than a few protests from Chopper, he strolled over and lifted the blond with ease, doing so before the other man could complain about it.

"Wha-" Sanji went to ask, but didn't finish his own gripe. To be fair, he saw this coming from a mile away, knowing full well he wouldn't be walking on his own for a little while, let alone running. "Don't think I'm not gonna get you back for this," he grumbled, giving in it.

"Yeah, yeah," Zoro replied. "Alright, let's get going now, we've already stayed here long enough, and I think we're starting to overstay our welcome."

At that, their sharpshooter released an anxious laugh. "I-I think that's putting it lightly," he stuttered, itching to get running again. As far as he was concerned, they were nowhere near far enough. Hell, he wouldn't be comfortable until they were completely off this island with the ocean between them. "Is everyone ready now? I don't know if they're still coming after us or not, but I don't care to stick around and find out.

"I second that," Robin chimed in, casting a few looks behind her. There was still nothing, but the wind was starting to pick up. Where ever they were, they were still trying to take them out, one way or another.

"Right, to the shore then!" Luffy commanded, ready to take the lead, the others were close behind. "Franky, we're counting on you," he added, running faster.

* * *

They were sure they had been running forever, all of them were growing weary from the nonstop movement. And, if they were being pursued, then they either gave up by now or collapsed. There was no way anyone could still be on their trail. The breeze blew in from the shore, tempting them and teasing them with how close they were. They were sure it would have been so much farther away, but with how fast they were traveling, of course it took them no time to reach it.

Luffy still carried out in the lead, his teeth pressed firmly together at knowing how close they were...just a little bit closer. The moment he broke through the foliage, it was like an overbearing weight had been lifted. "Yes!" he cheered as his feet sank into soft sand, the others close behind, all breathing too heavily to celebrate just yet.

Inhaling deeply, the captain straightened up, the breath ceasing half way in his lungs. "Haha!" he jumped up, waving one hand excitedly. "I knew he wouldn't let us down," he called back to the others, urging the rest of them to follow his gaze.

"Well, I'll be damned," Zoro muttered, hoping he would have been right, but still shocked to see he was actually right about it.

"Frankyyyy!" Chopper practically sobbed, waving both hooves. He was still a distance out, but surely he was close enough to see them. From this distance, they were sure to be out of here within a few minutes...they were actually saved, they were actually going to get out of this. All of them moved closer to the shore, ready to get on the moment he arrived. And, as they did so, the face of the Sunny turned in their direction, as if it was moving on its own free will, ready to pick up its crew.

Even Sanji, who had been almost sulking the whole way here had an expression of ease on his features. Though, it was mostly masked by his sheen of pain and discomfort. "You know," he muttered, looking to the swordsman, "you could at least let me stand on my own."

"Why? So Chopper can yell at me later? I think I'll pass." With that, he tightened his hold, getting rid of any slick to prevent the cook from slipping out if he were to try. "Just quit your bitchin', will ya? You've done nothing but whined this whole time, startin' to give me a headache."

The other muttered incoherently under his breath, but didn't push the matter further. It was already obvious he wasn't getting his way. His eyes began to slip shut as he tried to relax a bit more; the throbbing in his leg really starting to get to him now that he had the chance to focus on it. With his vision blocked off, he let out a breath at the way the wind ruffled through his hair, a bit stronger than it was when they got here. His eyes snapped back open as it clicked. "Shit," he swore under his breath.

"What now," Zoro groaned, glancing down to see the sincerity on the in the other.

"I think a storm's coming," he replied, his own pulse beginning to race. "If Franky doesn't put his ass in gear, we're about to have a bad day...a worse day," he corrected.

Looking back to the sea, his chest clenched with how close they were now. If they could just get on board, they'd be out of here. The one storm may have been able to take out that one boat, but this one was different, the Sunny was built to withstand worse than that. "Come on," he uttered, unaware that his grasp was tightening until Sanji let out a gasp of displeasure.

"You trying to kill me!?"

"Come on, Franky," Nami muttered to herself, fingers crossed, refraining herself from swimming out there to meet it halfway.

Not a moment later, the hull of it connected with land. There was not another second wasted as one by one, they got themselves on board, waves crashing against the side of the ship, threatening to take them out before they had the chance to leave. As soon as Zoro got the cook on board, he carried him to lean against one of the sides for the time being. "Try not to get yourself into anymore trouble," he ordered before running off, not giving the man the chance to reply.

"We need to get going, now!" the green-haired man shouted as he stepped up next to Nami, who took over the steering for the time being.

"What do you think I'm doing?!" she yelled back over the roar of the waters. They finally pulled their way away from the sand, but the rain and wind were still assaulting with everything they had. "Franky!" she called over, who was instantly ready for whatever order she had. "Get Sanji and get him inside would you?" she asked. "He's already in bad enough shape as it is, he can't afford getting caught in this as well.

"Right," the mechanic obliged, taking off a second later. It took him no time to get to the blond's side, his eyes widened at the sight of him. "Well, you've seen better days," he joked lightly, instantly lifting the man back up, who was getting more than a little tired of being hauled around like this. All it took was one glance at him, and Franky already knew to be carefully of his leg. If nothing, the way Sanji had it drawn closer in than the other was enough to tell him that something was wrong with it.

He drew in a sharp breath as he was hoisted up. "Wait," he said, stopping the other in his tracks. "What about the others? I'm sure they need your help more. If I need to, I can drag myself inside," he informed, hoping he'd take the bait and let him handle this himself. Besides, with what was going on right now, he could wait.

"Sorry, bro, orders from the navigator," he said with a slight grin. "I've seen Nami angry, and that's one thing I don't want to experience that again." He shuddered with the thought of it. He'd much rather face both Sanji and Zoro than her wrath, that was something else.

There was no fighting it then. "Fine, just be quick with it and get back out here to help the others. Alright?"

"You don't have to tell me twice."

While being whisked away, he cast another few looks to the others, all of them were doing everything they could to get out of here, and there he was, rendered absolutely useless. And, not only that, but now one of them were having to take care of him before helping with what was really important.

"Nami, can't you go a little faster?" Luffy asked, his hands gripped the rail, only to be pulled back by Ussop as another monstrous wave attacked them from the side, narrowly missing him, only by a few inches.

"I can't go any faster than this," she replied. "Don't worry about it though, we can take the abuse. And there's no way they can get to us now, they have no way of doing so," she reminded, serving to put his mind a little at ease. Besides, none of them could be seen on the shore. It was likely they didn't even know where they were. Her storms were just being thrown around in the hopes of hitting them.

They were managing though, slowly, the winds were dying away, the waves were calming down as the island slowly distanced itself. But, she didn't stop, and she wouldn't slow down, not until the place was completely out of sight. Though, it was safe to take a breather and relax a bit. "We made it…" she uttered in disbelief, "...we actually made it." She couldn't stifle the laugh of relief that slipped out, it just seemed like too much to be true. All that...it was finally over.

Zoro let out a heavy breath of his own, his eyes drifting to where he had left the blond, and his heart sinking when he no longer saw him there. "W-Where's Sanji?" he asked, hating that he was putting his worry out on display so easily. But, he couldn't help it, he had left him right there.

"Don't worry about him," their mechanic assured, clapping a large and heavy hand on his shoulder. "I took him inside, he's safe," he assured, giving a thumbs up with his other hand.

His body eased at that, his shoulders slumping slightly. Dammit, this whole getting worried over that man was really starting to get old, and he couldn't wait until he was over it. Couldn't have people thinking he was actually worried about him or anything...because he wasn't. "I'm gonna go check and make sure he didn't keel over on us," he said, brushing the touch of him and strolling off.

He sauntered off, keeping his head ducked, for some reason this was a little awkward for him. All he was doing was going to check on someone, it wasn't that big of a deal. Holding his breath, he swung the door open, finding the man himself lying on the bed, his eyes open and staring upward, only flicking away for a moment to see who had entered.

"What do you want?" he asked, rather casually.

"What's it look like, having to make sure you're still alive. It'd suck for you to get through all then then kick the bucket," he scoffed.

The other man rolled his eyes. "Well, ya see, I'm fine," he replied, going to turn over, but stopping when the movement sent fire up his leg. "What do you really want?" he asked, knowing damn well that's not what this drop in was all about.

"That's actually all I wanted," Zoro confirmed. "Hell, for a while out there, I really thought that wound was gonna do you in, so yeah, I wanted to check in," he admitted, his attention dropped to hide it from view. "So, I'd appreciate a straight answer, how're ya holding up?" he asked, still looking away.

"Better," Sanji answered honestly. "Still feel like shit, but not like death," he clarified, clearing his throat. That much was obvious, he still looked like it too. His features were pale, the dark circles under his eyes standing out. And there was still that sheen of sweat that never seemed to go away.

Zoro nodded once. "There, was that so hard?" he rolled his eyes. "And, don't you dare tell anyone I said this, or I really will kill you," he threatened, hesitating before going on. "But, you're actually a lot stronger than I give you credit for," he said, keeping his voice low, wanting to avoid others overhearing.

"As if I don't know that already," Sanji replied, light-heartedly. A second later, their little moment was interrupted as Chopper charged in, taking a deep breath.

"Alright, out you go," he said, fruitless trying to usher the swordsman out. "I have work to do...now that I have my good equipment," he said, urging the other to go already. "I just need to clean the wound again and get the more powerful antibiotics," he explained. Really, Zoro didn't have to leave for that, but it still felt odd having someone watch him while he worked. Earlier was an exception, there wasn't a choice in the matter.

The man put both hands up in surrender. "Calm down, will ya? I'm going," he assured, looking to the blond and nodding one last time. He had no idea what did it; if it was the near death, or the being stuck with the man for that amount of time, but whatever it was, he was sure he had a deeper respect for the man. Still, that was something that would have to be kept to himself.

* * *

 **Again, sorry of this was less than enjoyable, I lost steam in the middle of this, and I had a hard time getting it back up. But, I still wanted to finish it. I know it's not the best, but again, hope it was satisfying enough.**


End file.
